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Audiobooks are fast becoming a major route to market for consumers of books', the trade body saysThe number of UK audiobook downloads increased by 17% between 2022 and 2023, according to new data from the Publishers Association (PA).Revenue from audiobooks rose 24% across the same period to 206m in 2023, reflecting an increase in the number of audiobook downloads from 50m to 59m, the trade body said. Continue reading...

Boy aged five months who was taken to hospital after incident on Thursday died on SundayA baby who suffered a cardiac arrest at Legoland Windsor Resort has died, police have said.The five-month-old was seriously injured on Thursday in what Thames Valley police have called a neglect incident". The child died in hospital on Sunday. A 27-year-old woman from Essex was arrested on suspicion of neglect shortly after the incident. Continue reading...

Ally to take part in exercises alongside Russia; Ukraine says it has exposed network of agents run by MoscowRussia and Ukraine have accused each other at the global chemical weapons watchdog in The Hague of using banned toxins on the battlefield, the organisation said on Tuesday.The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that the accusations were insufficiently substantiated" but added that the situation remains volatile and extremely concerning regarding the possible re-emergence of use of toxic chemicals as weapons." Continue reading...

Disgraced biotech company founder is now due to be released in August 2032, two years and four months before original dateElizabeth Holmes, the disgraced former chief executive of the blood-testing company Theranos, has had her federal prison sentence shortened again, new records show.The 40-year-old Holmes is now scheduled for release on 16 August 2032 from a federal women's prison camp in Bryan, Texas, according to the US Bureau of Prisons website. Continue reading...

Dr Hilary Cass defends gender identity services report against significant misinformation' at health committeeThe Cass review absolutely" did not set an unfairly high bar for evidence, its author has said, as she addressed significant misinformation" about her assessment of healthcare provision for gender-questioning young people in England and Wales.Giving evidence to the Scottish parliament's health committee on Tuesday morning, Dr Hilary Cass said she believed Scotland could benefit from the more holistic approach recommended in her review, commissioned by NHS England. Continue reading...

Russian president claims mandate for Ukraine invasion and correctness of the country's course'

Meeting on Tuesday evening will debate the issue after new legal analysis of 193-year-old rulebookThe men-only Garrick Club will vote on Tuesday evening on whether female members should be allowed to join, after decades of controversy over the London club's refusal to admit women.Members will meet at a Covent Garden venue at 5pm to debate the issue. They will then vote on a resolution inviting them to confirm that a new legal analysis of the Garrick's 193-year-old rulebook suggests there is actually nothing in it preventing women from joining already. Continue reading...

Firms fined millions after London Capital & Finance's 2019 crash wiped out customers' savingsBig four" accountancy firms PricewaterhouseCoopers and EY have been fined a combined 9.3m for a series of failures in auditing the accounts of London Capital & Finance, the collapsed mini-bond firm that wiped out the investments of thousands of savers.It concludes a near four-year investigation by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) into how auditors breached their duties while reviewing the firm's finances in the years leading up to its demise in 2019. Continue reading...

New track Hind's Hall backs Columbia University protesters and characterises Israel as a state that's gotta rely on an apartheid system'Chart-topping US rapper Macklemore has released a new track, Hind's Hall, which gives robust support to Palestine as well as those protesting at US universities against Israel's activity in Gaza.Hind's Hall is named after the Columbia University building, renamed from Hamilton Hall by occupying student protesters to reference Hind Rajab, a six-year-old child killed in Gaza. Continue reading...

Time has run out for any charges after woman said really angry' man shouted at her to pull over and showed IDA woman who described her terror at being harassed on a motorway by a man posing as a police officer has been told there can be no criminal investigation because forces failed to act in time.The woman said she was driving on her own on the M1 in March 2023 when a really angry" man in an unmarked car began shouting at her to pull over, showing what looked like a police ID, the BBC reported. Continue reading...

Independent ACT senator says review committee was provided with solutions to fix fatally flawed' system but failed to offer any substantial improvements

Victorinox, producer of the celebrated pocket tool, responds to plague of knife crime' with new variantFor more than a century, the Swiss army knife has been an essential piece of kit for everyone from picnickers and equestrians, to golfers and astronauts.But now the maker of the pocket-knife, with its red or blue shell and multiple tools, has bowed to what an English judge last week called the plague of knife crime" by designing a version without a blade. Continue reading...

Local MP is concerned move breaches Anti-Discrimination Act while NSW arts minister accuses council of censorship'

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Lawyers for David Maurice Wise claim he only has dream-like memory of planting the bomb' but magistrate says offending serious'

Peter Dutton's opposition accuses Labor of a flagrant disregard for multicultural communities and legal experts'

Senate committee examined how major chains including Coles and Woolworths have set prices during Australia's cost of living crisis

Report calls for reintroduction of jury unanimity to safeguard against wrongful criminal convictionsAt least 56 miscarriages of justice have occurred in cases in England and Wales where the jury was split, according to a charity, which says jury unanimity should be reintroduced to safeguard against wrongful criminal convictions.The research by Appeal, the miscarriage of justice charity, says majority verdicts arguably dilute the principle of reasonable doubt" and have facilitated miscarriages in cases including those of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit; Barry George, who was wrongly convicted over the death of Jill Dando; and Winston Trew, one of the Oval Four. Continue reading...

Police have no concerns for safety, Rossmoyne senior high school principal says, after messages on an internal service threatening to shoot up the school' were investigated

Line of Duty actor will oversee classic plays as well as new pieces inspired by the Irish author in Beckett: Unbound 2024Adrian Dunbar is to curate a festival in Liverpool dedicated to the work of Samuel Beckett. The programme includes four specially commissioned productions, one involving prisoners at HMP Liverpool.The Line of Duty actor said of Beckett: Unbound 2024: Engaging with Beckett makes you think about the fundamentals of life. Those fundamentals are sometimes hard to engage with, but at the end, when he drives everything to a conclusion, he also makes you feel something that is liberating."Beckett: Unbound, Liverpool and Paris, 30 May-7 June Continue reading...

One man sentenced to 37 years behind bars and other to 26 years for prolonged and egregious' abuse

Bob Olley's unsettling vision of clash between miners and police is part of 40th anniversary show in Bishop AucklandBob Olley was there 40 years ago at the battle of Orgreave". I saw the violence," he said, shaking his head. I thought I was in a foreign country when I saw what the police did. It is hard to believe it happened in this country."The brutality he and others witnessed on 18 June 1984 as striking miners met 6,000 police officers on horses or wielding batons on foot will stay in the memory. It was in his head as, some years later, he embarked on his response to one of the world's greatest artworks, Picasso's Guernica. Continue reading...

Charities fear increasing risks of destitution and exploitation' of refugees as they go into hidingThe Home Office is dealing with growing fallout from the high-profile round-ups of asylum seekers it wants to send to Rwanda, as some have gone into hiding while others have fled across the border to Ireland.Officials began rounding up asylum seekers to detain them for the Rwanda scheme a week ago, with at least one now on hunger strike and another threatening suicide. Continue reading...

Price rise for mass-market types expected as global production falls to lowest level in more than 10 yearsOlive oil prices are set to climb further this year - heading to more than 16 a litre for a bottle of extra virgin - amid a drop in global production to the lowest level in more than a decade.Lower production in Greece, Morocco and Turkey as part of the natural cycle of olive growth is expected to offset an improving situation in Spain and Italy, where trees have suffered from extreme heat and drought in recent years as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on harvests. Continue reading...

Die Linke party is among those calling for a Donerpreisbremse or price cap on the hugely popular street foodThe soaring cost of doner kebabs has led to growing calls in Germany for a government subsidy programme to keep the inflation-hit dish, one of the country's favourites, affordable as politicians report it is frequently cited as a concern in doorstep conversations with voters.The chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has become so used to being asked about the price of kebabs during public appearances that his government has even posted on social media to explain that price rises are in part due to rising wage and energy costs. It's quite striking that everywhere I go, mainly from young people, I'm asked whether there shouldn't be a price brake for the doner," Scholz has said. Continue reading...

With the world's humanitarian system in crisis, many NGOs now recognise that local charities can deliver much more at far less costBefore civil war engulfed her Ethiopian home region of Tigray in 2020, Tsega Girma was a prosperous trader who sold stationery and other goods. But when hungry children displaced by the conflict started appearing in the streets, she sold everything and used the proceeds to buy them food.After that money dried up, Tsega appealed to Tigray's diaspora for donations. At the height of the war, her Emahoy Tsega Girma Charity Foundation provided meals to 24,000 children a day. Continue reading...

Commuter routes in and out of London hit as train drivers begin three days of rolling strikes amid six-day overtime banMost trains will not run in south-east England on Tuesday - including on key commuter routes in and out of London - after train drivers embarked on three days of rolling strikes at national rail operators.Drivers in the Aslef union are striking for 24 hours at each English operator between Tuesday and Thursday, while continuing a week-long nationwide overtime ban that started on Monday, as part of a long-running pay dispute. Continue reading...

That would require a stadium,' federal court hears as airline administrators try to organise online meeting for Friday that would allow everyone to vote

Artist Kirsha Kaechele said they needed to fight for the right to make some men uncomfortable'

Police cleared a large protest in Tel Aviv, where hundreds were urging Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the terms of a Hamas truce deal in Gaza

Stars turn up for annual fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York amid protests against Israel-Gaza war nearby

Yarra Valley grammar principal says position of two students was untenable and they will not be returning'Two boys at a Melbourne private school have been expelled over a spreadsheet in which female classmates were ranked, its principal has told parents.Four students from Yarra Valley grammar in Ringwood, in Melbourne's east, were suspended last week after it came to light they had made the list. It included photos of female students ranking them as wifeys", cuties", mid", object", get out" and unrapable".Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Victorian woman elects to fast track' case involving murder and attempted murder charges relating to Leongatha lunch

Shadow chancellor will highlight Labour's plans to boost economy and say Conservatives are out of touch'

Lower mortgage rates prompt property firm to change its outlook from 3% drop to a 2.5% increaseA decline in mortgage rates has prompted a forecaster to reverse its predictions of a fall in UK house prices in 2024, instead suggesting the average cost of a property could rise by 61,500 over the next five years.The property company Savills had forecast in November that it expected the average price of a home to fall by 3% this year because recent rises in the Bank of England base rate had heightened the affordability pressures on would-be buyers. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Results about you' allows users to see how they show up in search results and then request removal of details such as phone number or address

Former mogul, whose New York rape conviction was overturned last week, kept away from other detainees in special medical unitThis story was originally published by the City. Sign up to get the latest New York City news delivered to you each morningHarvey Weinstein is being kept in a private room inside Bellevue hospital's intensive care unit on a floor away from all other detainees, the City has learned. Continue reading...

Gazans thrown into confusion by Hamas's acceptance of a deal, followed by Israel's sceptical response and bomb attacksRafah's fate hung in the balance on Monday after Hamas said it had accepted a ceasefire-for-hostage deal but Israel responded sceptically and said it would press on with its campaign on Gaza's southernmost city, carrying out night airstrikes.The more than 1 million Palestinians taking refuge in Rafah were thrown into confusion by the day's events. Israel issued orders for the evacuation of part of the city earlier on Monday, triggering an exodus of thousands of people. There were celebrations in the streets in the evening as Hamas's announced it had accepted ceasefire, but then disappointment and bewilderment when Israel gave a tepid response and began bombing. Continue reading...

Winning books include Night Watch and King: A Life, while journalism winners focused on coverage of the Israel-Hamas warThis year's Pulitzer winners include the New York Times and ProPublica as well as authors including Jayne Anne Phillips and Jonathan Eig.The Pulitzers honored the best in journalism from 2023 in 15 categories, as well as eight arts categories focused on books, music and theater. The public service winner receives a gold medal. All other winners receive $15,000. Continue reading...

Independent senator, 82, stresses need to improve healthcare and protect abortion rights - and condemns extremist' NetanyahuBernie Sanders, the Vermont independent senator and former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, announced on Monday that he will run for a fourth six-year term - at the age of 82.In a video statement, Sanders thanked the people of Vermont for giving me the opportunity to serve in the United States Senate", which he said had been the honor of my life. Continue reading...

Jeremy Skibicki, charged with four counts of first-degree murder, is believed to have left bodies of at least two victims in a landfillAn accused serial killer in Canada, who police believed disposed of his victims by dumping some of them in landfills, has admitted to killing four Indigenous women, with his lawyers arguing a mental disorder meant he was not criminally responsible for the crimes.Jeremy Skibicki is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran and an unidentified woman, who was named Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe (Buffalo Woman) by Indigenous leaders. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and had been due to stand trial this week. Continue reading...

Despite disastrous election results, long-threatened coup lacks numbers to force no-confidence voteAfter months of plotting to oust Rishi Sunak by some on the right of the Conservative party, the rebellion fizzled out with barely a whimper this weekend despite a disastrous set of local election results.Senior Tories had long predicted that bad losses could be enough to push their despondent colleagues over the edge, even those who could see that changing leader yet again before the general election could have dire electoral consequences. Continue reading...

Party's return to minority government after a year of upheaval will test his renowned negotiating skills

Peter Abbott hammered on woman's windscreen and screamed at her after she beeped her horn at himA road rage driver who hammered on a woman's windscreen and screamed at her has been warned he faces jail after being found guilty of threatening behaviour.Peter Abbott, 60, unleashed a torrent of abuse at Samantha Isaacs, who was on her own, after she beeped her horn at him after being cut up outside a Tesco petrol station in Bournemouth in August last year. Continue reading...

Most of 32,500 properties back online after mains pipe burst but hundreds to go without for another nightAbout 2,000 homes in Hastings are into their fifth day without water and will probably have to wait until at least Tuesday for their taps to be flowing again.On Thursday, 32,500 properties in Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea were left without water after a mains pipe burst. On Monday Southern Water said about 25,500 of the homes affected had had their water supply restored. Continue reading...

Swinney says party has been having a tough, rough time' as he laments impact of recent infighting and chaosJohn Swinney declared a new chapter in our party's history" as he became leader of the Scottish National party on Monday, but said recent infighting and chaos had left the public worried about where we are as a party".Speaking to senior SNP politicians and activists at an event at the University of Glasgow, Swinney said his decision to stand for the role of leader - after Humza Yousaf announced his intention to step down a week ago - was not born out of long-held ambition but rather a profound sense of duty to my party and my country". Continue reading...

Mulino, who won 34.3% of vote, pledges to welcome business and investment without forgetting those who are hungry'Jose Raul Mulino, a former security minister, has emerged from a chaotic campaign to become Panama's next president - and will now have to address a cocktail of social discontent with just a fraction of the seats in parliament.Amid record turnout, Mulino won 34.3% of the vote, followed by the lawyer Ricardo Lombana on 24.8% and former president Martin Torrijos on 16%. Continue reading...

Israel's military has called for people to evacuate eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah and head to what it claimed was an expanded humanitarian zone' in southern Gaza

Vladimir Putin responds to recent statements from David Cameron and Emmanuel Macron over Ukraine war

PM says he is determined to fight on' after disastrous local, mayoral and Blackpool byelection results last weekLabour has marked the anniversary of the Conservatives re-entering government at the 2010 election by launching a what the opposition have called Conflix" website [geddit?] that mockingly tells the story of 14 years of Tory chaos"The party's chair, Anneliese Dodds, was challenged about the site on Sky News this morning and whether the party was relying on stunts" rather than policy proposals. She insisted that the detail of policy" was there, in the form of initiatives like GB Energy. Continue reading...