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The 42-year-old is the 26th person charged after February rally against Israeli president that led to violent clashes between police and protesters

President claims talks with Tehran regime are going very well' and says he is pausing Energy Plant destruction'

Latest figures from ACCC show diesel and unleaded petrol prices across the five largest cities up 10% and 8% respectively

Malcolm Turnbull asks defence department official what Australia would do if the promised Virginia-class and Aukus-class submarines don't arrive

This blog is closed. Follow our new liveblog hereAn Iranian envoy has said South Korean ships can pass through the strait of Hormuz only after coordinating with Tehran, the Yonhap News Agency has reported.Such an agreement had to be reached in advance of the transit, said Saeed Khuzechi, the Iranian ambassador to South Korea, at a press conference in response to a question about guarantees for South Korean vessels to navigate the vital conduit for oil. Continue reading...

Navy searching for two boats that left Isla Mujeres last week bound for Havana with nine crew members of different nationalities on boardMexico's navy said on Thursday it had activated a search-and-rescue operation in the Caribbean to locate two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba after the vessels failed to arrive in Havana as scheduled.In a statement, the navy said the two boats left Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican Caribbean state of Quintana Roo, last week bound for Havana with nine crew members of different nationalities on board. Continue reading...

Broadcaster takes Kiis FM to court to argue licensee was wrong to terminate him for serious breach of contract

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Police investigate damage at Lox in a Box, Paddington, latest in string of alleged antisemitic incidents in wake of Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 and Israel's war in Gaza

PM downplay's Trump's claims after US president criticises lack of support for war against Iran

Vote came after Trump said he would sign an order directing agency's new secretary to pay TSA agents

Lawmakers earlier passed bill to rename 31 March holiday following sexual abuse allegations against labor leaderCalifornia governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Thursday renaming Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day in the wake of shocking allegations that the labor leader sexually abused women and young girls.The bill, passed by the state senate earlier on Thursday, authorized the renaming ahead of the state holiday on 31 March. The state has observed the holiday honoring Chavez, who in the 1960s built a major farm-worker labor rights movement California's agricultural heartland, for more than two decades. Continue reading...

With two unprecedented trial defeats, big tech firms face crisis akin to that faced by cigarette makers in the 1990sIn the span of just two days, the most powerful social media company in the world faced a more severe public reckoning than it has in years.Jurors in California and New Mexico gave back-to-back verdicts this week that for the first time ever found Meta liable for products that inflict harm on young people. For years, lawmakers, parents and advocates have raised red flags over how social media can hurt children, but now the tech firms are being held to account via court rulings that could set long-lasting precedents. Continue reading...

Ministers urged to work with survivor groups on formal apology as many victims are nearing end of their livesThe UK government must urgently issue a formal apology for the state's role in forced adoption as many victims are nearing the end of their lives, a cross-party group of MPs has said.A report from the education select committee said ministers should provide an initial commitment to an apology and begin working with survivor groups as quickly as possible on its wording. Continue reading...

The decision follows activist pressure as Palantir faces growing scrutiny over NHS and UK government deals

Face-off is over company's refusal to let defense department use its Claude AI model in autonomous weapons systemsA federal judge in California sided with Anthropic in its case against the Department of Defense on Thursday, ordering a temporary pause on the government's punitive measures against the artificial intelligence firm.Judge Rita Lin granted Anthropic's request for a temporary injunction while the northern district court of California hears the company's case. Anthropic argued that the Department of Defense and Donald Trump violated its first amendment rights in declaring the company a supply chain risk and ordering government agencies to cease using its technology. Continue reading...

President says order will address this Emergency Situation' as TSA employees have gone without pay during disputeDonald Trump announced Thursday he will sign an order instructing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pay Transportation Security Administration agents immediately.I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports," Trump wrote on social media. I want to thank our hardworking TSA Agents and also, ICE, for the incredible help they have given us at the Airports." Continue reading...

Regular events at the Tasmanian festival, including the Winter Solstice Nude Swim and the Night Mass party, joined by Australian and international musicians and artists in a program dominated by Latin American art

Trump has yet to nominate a permanent CDC director and the Senate confirmation of his pick for top doctor is in limbo

Petition seeks accountability from Salvadorian authorities over human rights violations at notorious Cecot facilityA group of 18 Venezuelan men whom the US expelled a notorious Salvadorian mega-prison are demanding that Salvadorian authorities be held internationally accountable for violation of human rights - detailing new allegations of torture, sexual assault and medical neglect.A new petition, filed on Thursday before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, alleges that El Salvador violated the human rights of these men, who were expelled to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) last year without charge. Continue reading...

Dow closed 450 points down and S&P dipped 1.7% while Nasdaq fell 2.3% into correction territory

Conservative former cabinet minister says nurse convicted of murdering seven babies has suffered a miscarriage of justiceThe police force that conducted the investigation into the nurse Lucy Letby made egregious" failures and did not follow official guidance or best professional practice, David Davis has said in parliament.Speaking in the final parliamentary debate before the Easter recess, the Conservative former cabinet minister made a series of criticisms of Cheshire police and said Letby has suffered a miscarriage of justice. Davis said Cheshire police failed to appoint appropriate medical and statistics experts, and pursue all possible lines of inquiry into why babies died and collapsed on the failing" neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester hospital in 2015-16. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer responds after Kemi Badenoch spokesperson says she raised eyebrow' in relation to account of theftKeir Starmer has said it is far-fetched" to suggest that the theft of his former chief of staff's mobile phone is somehow connected to a subsequent push for the release of documents relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador.Downing Street has come under pressure to say whether key messages between Morgan McSweeney and the former ambassador were lost after it emerged that the government-issue phone was stolen last year. Continue reading...

Noelia Castillo, 25, a paraplegic, had suffered from psychiatric illness and lived in constant painA Spanish woman who spent months fighting her father for the right to euthanasia after being sexually assaulted and becoming paraplegic has finally ended her life on her own terms by means of an assisted death.Noelia Castillo, 25, had struggled with psychiatric illness since she was a teenager and tried to kill herself in October 2022 after being sexually assaulted. The attempt left her in constant pain and using a wheelchair. Eighteen months later, she used Spain's euthanasia law, which was introduced in 2021, to secure permission to end her life.In Spain, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 900 525 100. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie Continue reading...

Announcement comes after IOPC said it was examining force's response to allegations made in 2014 and 2015A police force under investigation over its handling of sexual abuse claims against the self-professed misogynist Andrew Tate has reopened an inquiry into allegations against him.Hertfordshire police said they had made the decision to reinvestigate alleged rape and sexual assault offences in the light of previous failures in 2014 and 2015. Continue reading...

Research suggested resurgence in Christianity, especially among young people, but some respondents found to be fraudulent'A YouGov survey showing a significant rise in church attendance in parts of the UK has been withdrawn after some respondents were found to be fraudulent.The poll was central to a Quiet Revival report, published by the Bible Society last year, which prompted news stories about an apparent resurgence in Christianity, particularly among young people. Continue reading...

The comments were part of a broader address in which he condemned Nato alliesYesterday the Conservative party said that it wanted to ban political parties from distributing campaign literature in a foreign language. Announcing a plan to propose an amendement to the representation of the people bill to make this law, the shadow communities minister Paul Holmes said:Campaigning in a foreign language as the Greens did in Gorton and Denton only fosters greater division. A coherent national culture relies on shared values, and an inclusive electoral process relies on a common tongue.I think it's for political parties to choose how they campaign and communicate with British voters. If they're using British money that is funding their campaigns and they're speaking to people who have the right to vote, then why would you not show those voters the respect of communication?What fuels division is Nick Timothy standing up and singling out Muslim forms of worship for a ban when he's not applying that to forms of worship that other religions are talking about.It just doesn't compute, does it? I worked in Number 10. Briefly, I had a Number 10 phone. There was a paranoia about devices like that falling into other people's hands.And so whether it was the Met Police, whether it was Morgan McSweeney, and what sounds like pretty evasive set of reporting, even when you look at that transcript, or whether it was the Number 10 security team following up something that at the time they could not have been sure had not been taken by a state actor, a phone with all sorts of government secrets potentially in it, that's precisely why people in government have two separate phones.I don't believe McSwindle had his iPhone stolenHonest believe, Matt. It's smacks of the liar Johnson defence of lost all my WhatsApp messages'. We mustn't take the public for fools. And I am afraid this smacks of too convenient by far. I won't do it. I will say what I actually think. And I don't believe it. End of!I believe the report was made. McSwindle didn't mention that he was the chief of staff to the PM. A significant omission of he'd wanted the police to prioritise the offence. Continue reading...

Study into how fertilisation could work in space finds sperm may get disorientated when trying to find an eggSperm in space are likely to get disoriented and lost while struggling to find their way to an egg, a new study has found.When exposed to microgravity in experiments, sperm tumble around like an untethered astronaut, according to Adelaide University researchers. Continue reading...

Remarks come after defense secretary calls for changes to military's chaplain corps, which had been watered down'The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy".The Christian worship service, held on Wednesday before military and civilian workers at the Pentagon, was Hegseth's first since the Iran war began, the Associated Press reported. Continue reading...

Laurence Gray charged with attempting to provide material support to terrorist organizationsAn Arizona licensed gun dealer was charged this month with attempting to provide material support to terrorist organizations after federal agents caught him allegedly selling a series of rifles and guns to two Mexican cartels.The federal charges against the American firearms dealer come amid years of pressure by the Mexican government to stop the flow of weapons into the country. Mexico's violent and bloody internal conflict, between drug cartels and the Mexican government, has been largely fueled by American weapons smuggled into the country. Continue reading...

The comments came after the US president lashed out as Nato, saying it didn't help to open the strait of Hormuz when requestedMeanwhile, the US president, Donald Trump, has once again lashed out against Nato allies saying in a social media post that they have done absolutely nothing to help" in Iran campaign.The USA needs nothing from Nato, but never forget' this very important point in time," he warned.NATO NATIONS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP WITH THE LUNATIC NATION, NOW MILITARILY DECIMATED, OF IRAN. THE U.S.A. NEEDS NOTHING FROM NATO, BUT NEVER FORGET" THIS VERY IMPORTANT POINT IN TIME! President DONALD J. TRUMP" Continue reading...

Lawmakers consider latest bill that targets trans people for using the bathroom that matches their gender identityIdaho lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it a crime for transgender people to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity - even inside privately owned businesses.At least 19 states, including Idaho, already have laws barring transgender people from using bathrooms and changing rooms that align with their gender in schools and, in some cases, other public places. The LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Movement Advancement Project's tracking of the laws shows that three other states - Florida, Kansas and Utah - have made it a criminal offense in some circumstances to violate the bathroom laws. Continue reading...

Shaine March fatally stabbed Alana Odysseos, who was in early stages of pregnancy, after being released on licence for killing teenager in 2000A man who murdered his pregnant girlfriend after being released from prison on licence must spend the rest of his life in jail, the court of appeal has ruled after finding that the original 42-year sentence was too lenient".Alana Odysseos, 32, was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child when she was killed by Shaine March last July at her home in Walthamstow, east London. She died at the scene from 23 slash and stab wounds. Continue reading...

Higher blend has been prohibited in warm weather because of concerns it could worsen smogThe US Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday that it would temporarily allow widespread sales of a higher-ethanol gas blend in a move that it hopes will tamp down consumer prices that have soared since the Iran war began.The higher-ethanol blend has been prohibited in warm weather because of concerns it could worsen smog. Continue reading...

Rationing is not under consideration yet as hundreds of retailers report being without one or more types of fuel

Electric buses are just 1% of the Australian fleet compared with 80% in urban China, a quarter in the Netherlands and 12% in the UK

Other winners include Inter Alia's Rosamund Pike, Ivo van Hove for All My Sons and Hayley Atwell who beat her Much Ado co-star Tom Hiddleston to best Shakespearean performanceBrendan Gleeson has been named best actor at the Critics' Circle theatre awards for his West End debut in Conor McPherson's pub drama The Weir. He beat fellow nominees including Bryan Cranston and Paapa Essiedu, both recognised for All My Sons, and James Hameed and Arti Shah, the duo who together portray Paddington in the new musical about Michael Bond's bear. The Weir, directed by McPherson, was entirely omitted from the nominations for this year's Olivier awards and is being turned into a film with Gleeson and the rest of the West End cast.All My Sons, a critically adored production of Arthur Miller's 1946 classic at Wyndham's theatre, won in two categories at the Critics' Circle awards: best revival of a play or musical and best director for Ivo van Hove. A new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods, directed by Jordan Fein at the Bridge theatre, also won two prizes - best designer (Tom Scutt) and the inaugural award for best ensemble or cast. Continue reading...

Misappropriation of financial resources' from actor, 90, tracked to property, vineyards and olive groves in TuscanyItalian authorities have seized 20m (17.3m) of assets in Tuscany, including property, vineyards and olive groves, allegedly bought with money embezzled from the actor Ursula Andress.Andress, 90, had filed a complaint in her native Switzerland alleging a progressive and significant depletion of her assets" by individuals charged with managing her finances, Italy's financial crimes police said in a statement on Thursday. Continue reading...

Aipac-backed lawmakers denounce extremist' violence in West Bank as support for Israel becomes a political liabilityAs Israeli settlers ramp up violent attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, often as Israeli forces stand by, denunciations are mounting in the US, even from Democratic legislators and public figures who are typically staunch defenders of Israel.In recent days, dozens of settlers have torched homes and vehicles and attacked Palestinians in apparently coordinated attacks. Since the start of the month, Israeli settlers and police have killed at least 10 Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, including two young brothers and their parents as they returned from a Ramadan shopping trip. Continue reading...

Firm's sales up 54% this month and Good Energy reports doubling of interest in solar after latest oil price shockSolar panel sales have risen sharply since the start of the Iran war, according to Octopus Energy, and households are opting for bigger arrays of roof panels.Sales were up 54% so far this month compared with the same period last month, the company said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Documents obtained by Guardian show company increased different fees to offset revenue loss' from FTC rule changeFollowing a wave of regulations banning the surprise fees that appear at the end of a transaction, Ticketmaster stopped charging the extra few dollars it added to each order at checkout. Typically shared with the venue, the order processing fee was a boon to a global platform that sells hundreds of millions of tickets a year.But documents obtained by the Guardian show that while Ticketmaster eliminated this fee to comply with the rules, the company simply raised the cost of different fees in a number of its venues to ensure it didn't lose money. Continue reading...

Clear Secure has seen jump in new sign-ups amid the partial government shutdown as TSA workers go unpaid

Company reported loss of 125m after cyber-security attack hit sales and claims of toxic' culture

Market in North Darfur and truck carrying civilians in North Kordofan hit as civil war approaches fourth yearAt least 28 civilians have been killed in two separate drone strikes in Sudan, according to health workers, as the country's brutal civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) approaches its fourth year.A strike hit a market in the town of Saraf Omra, in North Darfur state, on Wednesday, killing 22 people, including an infant, and injuring 17 more", a health worker at the local clinic told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Continue reading...

Man was teaching at a secondary school for boys when he allegedly targeted the girl - who police say he did not know

Jena Lisa Jones says she backed Trump in 2024 election because of his campaign promises to release Epstein filesAfter casting her vote for Donald Trump in 2024 in hopes that he would bring transparency around the Jeffrey Epstein case, Epstein survivor Jena Lisa Jones said in an interview this week that she now fears we're not going to get justice in all of this".I wanted my day in court," said Jones, who has said she was abused by Epstein when she was 14, in an interview on the Shadow Sessions podcast that aired on Thursday morning. I didn't get that, and we were so close to it, it really got ripped from us, and then after [Epstein] passed, everything just went into a circus show." Continue reading...

UK clothing and homeware retailer working on assumption that war could last three months

Australian counterterrorism experts observe December shooting came amid years of messaging from terror group urging followers to act on their own initiative'

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Cambridge University historian uncovers letter to diarist who was a naval official in 1670sHis journals would become famed for their vivid detail and candour. But now, almost exactly 360 years after diarist Samuel Pepys chronicled the Great Fire of London, new research has found that he erased" and curated" correspondence to conceal he had been offered an enslaved boy as a bribe.Cambridge University historian Dr Michael Edwards consulted hundreds of records in The Pepys Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge; The National Archives; and the Bodleian Library in Oxford for the study Samuel Pepys, the African Companies, and the Archives of Slavery, 1660-1689". Continue reading...