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Calls rise for Benedict Willard to be punished after recusing himself from Lawrence Hecker case on morning of trialCourt watchdogs and advocates for victims of sexual abuse are calling for a New Orleans judge to be punished and voted out of office after he controversially delayed the trial of retired Catholic priest charged with child rape and kidnapping - on the morning of jury selection.Judge Benedict Willard's critics say his angry outbursts have been a problem over more than two decades on the bench. But they are raising fresh concerns after Willard's decision to remove members of the local district attorney's office during a rape trial in August reverberated to affect the eagerly anticipated trial of Lawrence Hecker, 93, on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Government had objected to report's publication as it may damage trust of affected communities'The Home Office has been forced to release a suppressed report on the origins of the Windrush scandal by a tribunal judge who quoted George Orwell in a judgment criticising the department's lack of transparency.For the past three years, Home Office staff have worked to bury a hard-hitting research paper that states that roots of the scandal lay in 30 years of racist immigration legislation designed to reduce the UK's non-white population. Continue reading...

Call comes after Scott apologises for university's handling of antisemitism complaints

Member for Kiama denies he was drunk at the time and says some media reports concerning the incident are defamatory'

Vast majority of borrowers servicing their debts but arrears could grow if economy slows more than expected, bank says

Sydney's temperature plummets as wintery' weather sweeps up southern and central coast, but forecast looks bright for Melbourne's AFL grand final

Review of gambling regulation finds clubs advertising gambling on pages aimed at, or featuring, minorsHalf of Premier League football clubs have advertised gambling on webpages aimed at, or featuring, under-18s, prompting concern about a voluntary code of conduct drawn up with the help of the betting industry.A review of gambling regulation published last year resulted in English football clubs avoiding any new government-imposed restrictions affecting their income from betting sponsorship. Continue reading...

President-elect refuses to invite Spanish king to her inauguration after lack of apology for crimes of conquestA festering diplomatic row between Mexico and Spain has been reopened after the Latin American country's leftwing president-elect refused to invite King Felipe to her inauguration because of his failure to apologise for crimes committed against Mexico's Indigenous people during the conquest 500 years ago.In 2019, Mexico's president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wrote to King Felipe and Pope Francis, calling for them to apologise for the abuses" of the conquest and the colonial period. Continue reading...

Elizabeth Britton looked generally terrified' when paramedics arrived at her Pottsville home, inquest into her death hears

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Inmate jailed in 2017 for 2015 murder and sexual assault of Mahmoud Hrouk, 16, dies in Lithgow correctional centre

ALP MPs appear open to re-examining controversial tax write-off amid housing crisis as Coalition launches fierce campaign to protect it

Closure of hundreds of outlets hitting rural areas, older people and deprived communities hardest, according to Healthwatch EnglandHigh street pharmacies are closing at such an alarming rate that it threatens the drive to use them instead of GPs to care for millions of people, the NHS's patient champion warns today.A total of 436 community pharmacies in England shut permanently last year and there were also 13,863 temporary closures, which stopped patients from obtaining health advice and medication.Cheshire and Merseyside ICB saw the most permanent closures last year - 51The North East and North Cumbria ICB had the highest number of temporary closures - 1,438The same area also saw the highest number of hours lost to temporary closures - 4,054And pharmacies in the Norfolk and Waveney ICB area shut temporarily for the longest number of hours on average - 17.48 Continue reading...

Washington says Israel has legitimate security problem and more complex diplomatic agreement is required

Main political rival of Canada's prime minister fails to gather enough support to end nine years of Liberal ruleJustin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, has easily survived a vote of confidence after his main political rival failed to muster enough support to end nine years of Liberal party rule.Legislators in the House of Commons voted 211-120 to defeat a motion by the official opposition Conservative party declaring a lack of confidence in Trudeau's minority Liberal government. Continue reading...

Scottish standup posts video saying she is getting palliative care and will be going into a hospiceThe comedian Janey Godley has revealed she is receiving end-of-life care after her terminal cancer spread.The 63-year-old announced she would be getting palliative care and going into a hospice in a video shared on social media on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Some ministers have rallied around chief of staff while others accuse her of control freakery'Keir Starmer has become exasperated about in-fighting across government involving Sue Gray, with the prime minister under pressure from senior aides and cabinet ministers to resolve the row.Sources said the situation would come to a head after he returned from his trip to the UN in New York, where he was joined by his chief of staff. Starmer is said to be dismayed at tensions inside the No 10 machine. Continue reading...

Courthouse and some city buildings closed after suspect reportedly throws bag that exploded into courtroomA man has been detained after an explosion at a courthouse in Santa Maria, California, injured two people, authorities have said.The explosion came from an intentionally set improvised explosive device", wrote Raquel Zick, the Santa Barbara county sheriff public information officer, on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Strikes designed to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure before possible incursion by troops, says Israel's top general

Comments are strongest yet against allowing Ukraine to launch long-range missiles into Russian territoryVladimir Putin has escalated his nuclear rhetoric, telling a group of senior officials that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons if it was attacked by any state with conventional weapons.His remarks on Wednesday came during a meeting with Russia's powerful security council where he also announced changes to the country's nuclear doctrine. Continue reading...

Alleged poisoning follows last year's killing of human rights lawyer and 2021's pro-democracy protestsEswatini's main opposition party has alleged that its leader was poisoned in an assassination attempt, putting renewed scrutiny on the southern African country that is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies, where authorities have for years moved to quash pro-democracy movements.The People's United Democratic Movement party (Pudemo) said its president, Mlungisi Makhanya, was hospitalised after being poisoned in neighbouring South Africa on Tuesday. It said he was under security protection but gave no detail on his condition or the circumstances of the alleged poisoning. Makhanya had recently said there would be new pro-democracy protests in Eswatini next month. The Eswatini government spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo denied any involvement. Continue reading...

Former Tory minister to take reins at magazine bought recently by Paul Marshall, with Charles Moore as chairThe former cabinet minister Michael Gove has been named as the new editor of the Spectator magazine, weeks after the GB News backer Paul Marshall completed a 100m takeover of the rightwing magazine.Gove, who will take over from Fraser Nelson on 4 October, will be joined by the former Daily Telegraph and Spectator editor Charles Moore, who has been named as chair. Continue reading...

Ukraine president made forceful call for just peace' at UN, but winning more US support and fending off Russia are both uphill battlesVolodymyr Zelenskyy has come to the US with a mission: to sell his vision for a Ukrainian victory despite the growing odds against Kyiv in its war with Russia.The Ukrainan president spoke out forcefully on Tuesday and Wednesday in the security council and then at the general assembly of the United Nations, calling on other countries to back Ukraine's proposal for a just peace" and refrain from holding alternative talks with Vladimir Putin. Continue reading...

A land incursion would be a far more complex undertaking than the intelligence-led strikes pursued so farNo two wars are alike, even those fought between the same two combatants on the same terrain. But many of the challenges remain the same.Israel's most senior military commander has told troops that airstrikes will continue inside Lebanon as the Israeli military prepares for a possible ground operation. If its forces do cross the northern border they are likely to face obstacles they have seen before. Continue reading...

Bill by Giorgia Meloni's far-right government comes down hard on climate activists and migrantsDemonstrations are being held across Italy on Wednesday evening against a new security bill described as repressive" and dangerous for the country's democracy".The raft of 24 laws contained in the bill, which passed its first hurdle in the lower house of parliament last week and now needs approval in the senate, is the latest attempt by Giorgia Meloni's far-right government to get tough on law and order. It comes down especially hard on climate activists and migrants. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester police's Andrew Talbot used police systems to look up potential drug dealers to give drugs toA detective who stole almost 4kg cocaine from the police evidence store at work and supplied it on the streets of Manchester has been convicted of multiple offences.Andrew Talbot, who worked within Greater Manchester police's (GMP's) serious crime division, conducted multiple searches of the force's confidential computer systems for known or suspected drug dealers to help him sell the drugs, which he supplied between February 2018 and January 2020. Continue reading...

Footage taken by Animal Equality UK before MSPs' visit was a daily procedure, says Scottish Sea FarmsThe removal of tonnes of dead fish from a salmon farm before a Scottish parliament fact-finding mission there gave a misleading impression of conditions, an animal rights charity says.Footage secretly filmed by Animal Equality UK shows salmon being disposed of on Monday morning before a visit to Dunstaffnage salmon farm, near Oban, later that day by committee members carrying out an inquiry into the industry. The committee said the footage raised questions about fish mortality. Continue reading...

Masoud Pezeshkian calls for new era of cooperation' in UN speech while hemmed in by escalating tensions and critics at homeOn his first visit to the US, Iran's new president has spoken of a new era of cooperation" with the west. It is an offer that intrigued diplomats, but left them struck by the constraints - ideological, internal and geopolitical - standing in the way of a substantive change in relations.Masoud Pezeshkian came to New York for his first UN general assembly since his election asking the west to look at Iran again - largely by challenging the double standards that led to its silence about the massacres in Gaza. He has insisted Israel and the US, not Tehran, were the region's troublemakers. Continue reading...

Ballot backs rise of 4.5% this year from train companies and from Network Rail, reducing chance of more strikes

Some politicians welcome a fresh and bold response to address affordability, while others wary of resurrecting a debate lost at the 2019 election

No requirement to go to GP for new prescription for pill, as long as it has been taken for at least two years

Exclusive: woman says she was desperate' to find a home for her and her child and was preyed' on by the staffer

Plea for repatriation comes as high court refused appeal brought by Save the Children to return Australian families of slain Islamic State fighters

Former senator Rex Patrick claims massive win for transparency' in case dating back to 2020 sports rorts'

Prosecutors say Moroccan suspect had previously been convicted of rape and ordered to leave FranceFrance's new rightwing interior minister has said there will be consequences after a Moroccan man suspected of murdering a 19-year-old university student and leaving her body in a forest was arrested in Switzerland.A source close to the case said the alleged attacker was a 22-year-old man of Moroccan nationality. Prosecutors have said the suspect had been previously convicted of rape and had been the subject of an order to leave France. Continue reading...

Vote calling on ministers to reverse cuts came after union leader said UK needed investment, not austerity mark II'

Group to trial technology that can detect shoplifting and attacks on staff after losses from crime rose by almost 20% to 40m in six months

Lebanese minister says only Washington can help end the fighting. Plus, Missouri executes Marcellus Khaliifah' WilliamsGood morning.Israel began a third day of strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, as Lebanon's foreign minister said only Washington could help end the fighting.The conflict is growing out of control: Up to half a million people are estimated to have been displaced by Israel's attacks, according to Lebanese officials, as displaced families slept in makeshift shelters, cars, parks or along the seaside. Israel said attacks would continue.World leaders are pleading for restraint: The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said: Lebanon is at the brink. The people of Lebanon - the people of Israel - and the people of the world - cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza." President Joe Biden said a diplomatic solution was still possible.But Lebanon's foreign minister said only the US could pressure Israel into de-escalation: Abdallah Bou Habib said the US - Israel's strongest ally and biggest arms supplier - was the only country that can really make a difference in the Middle East".Follow our live blog here. Continue reading...

Three candidates - Russell Findlay, Meghan Gallacher and Murdo Fraser - vie for top job in contest ending this Friday

An influencer on the run crashes a community of naturalists, in one of five new Australian plays premiering at the theatre in 2025

Former ITV presenter will appear in Channel 5 show Cast Away, which follows a celebrity stranded off MadagascarPhillip Schofield is returning to television 16 months after quitting This Morning over what he called an unwise, but not illegal" affair.The 62-year-old, who stepped down from presenting the ITV daytime show in May 2023 after 21 years, will appear in a Channel 5 special called Cast Away, which follows a celebrity stranded on an island off the coast of Madagascar for nearly two weeks. Continue reading...

Australian company says it is frustrated that UK property website has refused to engage over a dealRightmove has rejected a third bid from Rupert Murdoch's REA Group and said the offer was unattractive" and under values the UK's largest online property portal.On Wednesday Rightmove confirmed that its board had unanimously rejected" the non-binding cash-and-shares offer put forward on Monday, which valued the company at 6.1bn. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Legalise Cannabis party MP calls on government to recognise that powerful synthetic opioids aren't just another drug'

Zhu Hengpeng, who worked for an influential government thinktank, has reportedly not been seen in public since making disparaging remarks on WeChatA leading Chinese economist at a government thinktank has reportedly disappeared after being disciplined for criticising Xi Jinping in a private chat group.Zhu Hengpeng, 55, is believed to have made disparaging remarks about China's economy, and potentially about the Chinese leader specifically, in a private WeChat group. Zhu was subsequently detained in April and put under investigation, according to the Wall Street Journal which cited anonymous sources. Continue reading...

Former Victorian premier described the Liberal MPs as disloyal, and perhaps even treacherous', federal court trial hears

States including NSW and Victoria are holding out for funding increase greater than Tasmania has accepted in federal schools deal

Exclusive: Education secretary to launch callout for empty classrooms to be converted as part of free childcare planThree hundred new state nurseries will open in England's schools by next September, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has promised, as the government hurries to find places before the introduction of free childcare.Phillipson's department is under extraordinary pressure before next September, when 30 hours of free childcare begins for eligible parents of children from the age of nine months. Labour has said it would fulfil the promise by the previous government, despite warnings about the demands on staff and nursery places. Continue reading...

Daytime service will take about eight hours and will complement the night route that launched last yearA new high-speed train linking Paris and Berlin is to launch in December, operators have announced.The daytime service will complement a popular night train route between the two capital cities that relaunched last year to much fanfare but has since been beset by technical problems. Continue reading...

Whiteness', low youth engagement and lukewarm pro-Europeanism in some states risks eroding bloc's founding values, expert saysVoting patterns and polling data from the past year suggest the EU is moving towards a more ethnic, closed-minded and xenophobic understanding of Europeanness" that could ultimately challenge the European project, according to a major report.The report, by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), identifies three key blind spots" across the bloc and argues their intersection risks eroding or radically altering EU sentiment. Continue reading...

Lawyers for victims say they will appeal against $1.8bn settlement, alleging officials knew robodebt was unlawful but went ahead with it anyway'