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Whale Watching Sydney photographer says his phone has not stopped going' since the sighting

Leaked Whitehall documents reveal plans to extend indoor smoking ban to a number of open-air spacesSmoking could be banned in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, outside hospitals and at sports grounds in the UK under tighter restrictions being considered by ministers, according to leaked documents.The measures are being proposed as part of a tougher version of the previous government's tobacco and vapes bill, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco to those born on or after January 2009, the Sun reports. Continue reading...

Move by Hollywood-backed Marlow Film Studios seen as test of Labour's push to prioritise economic growthThe developers of a planned 750m film studio near London backed by Hollywood directors including Titanic's James Cameron have said they hope to revive the stalled project in a case seen as a test of a broader push by the new government to prioritise economic growth.Marlow Film Studios said it would appeal to a national planning body after the proposed new complex was rejected earlier this year by Buckinghamshire county council. Continue reading...

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Defence counsel for man, who can not be named, says woman fabricated that she had rejected his sexual advances more than once to make sex sound more nonconsensual'

Burns becomes first Labor MP to speak against Albanese government decision, saying we need as few blind spots as possible'

Doctors' union has been in turmoil since it voted to in effect reject findings of transgender healthcare reportThe British Medical Association (BMA) has been accused of undertaking a witch-hunt" to try to identify which senior figure leaked that it was set to oppose the landmark Cass review on transgender healthcare.It has warned its ruling council's 69 members that whoever tipped off the media about its stance should own up or face their non-cooperation being seen as an act of dishonesty". Critics said its action is disgraceful", Orwellian" and witch-hunt-like". Continue reading...

The birds are the first creatures to be granted the honour since conurbation gained city status in 2022Hamish, a handsome Indian blue peacock, is pecking at a cauliflower head with determination in the late afternoon sunshine in Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline. Angel, a delicate white peahen, sits at the top of the outdoor aviary, calling to her chicks.The birds appear only mildly perturbed at the bagpipers and local dignitaries assembling for a short ceremony on Wednesday afternoon to award them the freedom of the city. They are the first creatures of any species to be granted this honour since Dunfermline, in Fife, was conferred city status in May 2022. Continue reading...

Violence has increased and reports have emerged of misconduct by staff and hardening of conditions', monitoring board findsSafety has deteriorated and violence has increased at one of the UK's largest immigration detention centres, with failings that were identified in a public inquiry almost a year ago still not addressed, according to a report.The findings are published in the annual report by the independent monitoring board for the Gatwick immigration removal centre.Assaults nearly tripled last year, with 146 assaults on staff compared with 55 in 2022, and 82 assaults between detainees compared with 33 in 2022.Use of force more than doubled.Handcuffing of detainees for hospital and other external visits jumped from 30% to 100%.There were some indications" that some staff were involved in the supply of drugs to detainees.Home Office staff from the detention engagement team felt reticent" about moving around the centre. According to the report, the concerns appear to be related to their personal safety".Twelve complaints of serious misconduct by staff escalated to the Home Office's professional standards unit for investigation.There was bedding so old that it had yellowed with age". Continue reading...

Anna Cody worries the Albanese government's backflip could strengthen the voices of discrimination'

Organisations who try to save lives in Mediterranean say Sicily response showed what can be doneThe tremendous resources and global attention dedicated to the tragedy of the Bayesian superyacht hint at a double standard for shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, several NGOs dedicated to assisting asylum seekers have said, citing the barriers they regularly face as they attempt to save lives in the same waters.The groups that spoke to the Guardian were swift to express their regret and extend their sympathies for the deaths of seven people after the luxury vessel was hit by violent storms off the coast of Italy. Continue reading...

Quarter of British teenagers in age group report low life satisfaction, compared with 7% of their Dutch peersMore 15-year-olds are reporting low life satisfaction in the UK than anywhere else in Europe, amid what experts are describing as a happiness recession" for British teenagers.The group is at the bottom of European rankings in terms of life satisfaction across 27 nations, analysis by the Children's Society reveals. In the UK 25% of 15-year-olds reported low life satisfaction, compared with 7% of Dutch children of the same age - the lowest level among any of the countries surveyed. Continue reading...

Ryan Park pledges to fast-track a number of initiatives, including to improve access to continuity of care and ensure informed consent

International business revenues fell significantly on last year's result, while budget carrier's earnings rose 23%

Northern Beaches Liberals unanimously support motion as some observers say conservative faction keen' to oust moderates after council elections nominations error

Police increase patrols near Hanlon Park in Brisbane after nine-month-old boy taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

World Food Programme says it is the first time that one of its vehicles has been directly shot at near a checkpoint despite having security clearance

The Yemen-based militants have denied an Iranian claim that they agreed to a temporary truce but will allow a tugboat to access the Sounion tankerYemen's Houthi group has agreed to allow tugboats and rescue ships to access a damaged crude oil tanker in the Red Sea, Iran's mission to the United Nations said, after the Iranian-aligned militants attacked the Greek-flagged vessel last week.The Sounion tanker is carrying 150,000 tonnes, or 1m barrels, of crude oil and poses an environmental hazard, shipping officials said. Any spill has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history. Continue reading...

Man in 30s pronounced dead at scene of a reported fight in Clapton, according to Met policeTwo men have been arrested after a man was stabbed to death in east London, the Metropolitan police have said.The force said officers were called at 3.38pm on Wednesday to reports of a fight in Rushmore Road, Clapton, and found a man in his 30s with a stab injury. Continue reading...

Liberty accuses government of disregard for rule of law' after judges found Braverman's measures were unlawfulThe Home Office has decided to continue its appeal against a high court ruling over a law that has seen hundreds of people criminalised for peaceful protests, a human rights group has claimed.Liberty accused the government on Wednesday of showing a disregard for the rule of law" with its decision. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese told journalists to chill out' over the comments filmed in the wings of the Pacific Islands Forum

Report by US Agency for International Development into $230m pier paints scathing picture of a failed projectJoe Biden declared the US intention to build a pier off the coast of Gaza as a means of delivering food despite advice to the contrary from aid experts in his administration, according to an official investigation into the ill-fated project.A new report by the inspector general of the US Agency for International Development (USAid), which was responsible for delivering food to Gaza by the pier, paints a scathing picture of a failed project, in which political and security imperatives outweighed humanitarian considerations. Continue reading...

Parents' wellbeing declared a critical health priority' as stressors such as finances and child safety plague parentsIf you're a stressed parent, you're not alone. According to a new surgeon general advisory released on Wednesday, parents have been more likely to report high levels of stress over the last decade than adults without children.The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children but also for the health of society," writes the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, himself a 47-year-old father of two. We know that the wellbeing of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the wellbeing of their children." Continue reading...

Tim Davie says corporation in spotlight' and wants to acknowledge this has been a demanding period'The BBC director-general said the broadcaster has been let down" by several controversies involving high-profile presenters and TV shows that have rocked the corporation in recent months.Tim Davie said the BBC had been put in the spotlight" following scandals including allegations around the treatment of contestants on Strictly Come Dancing and the sacking of presenter Jermaine Jenas after he admitted sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues. Continue reading...

Kyiv calling for more air defence support as repairs resume after latest strikes, with fears more could be catastrophicUkrainian authorities are scrambling to assess the damage caused by one of the biggest Russian airstrikes of the war earlier this week, which targeted energy infrastructure across the country, further crippling a sector targeted by Moscow multiple times in the spring.While much of Ukraine is still experiencing the tail end of a very hot summer, this week's strikes have brought into focus concerns about the hard colder months that lie ahead. This winter is going to be tough, that's for sure," said Nataliia Shapoval, head of the Kyiv School of Economics Institute. Continue reading...

Man, 20, jailed for trying to instigate riot in Huddersfield; boy, 15, admits throwing glass bottle in unrest in BoltonAn 11-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with this summer's riots, as police vowed to continue catching people suspected of being involved despite dwindling prison places.The boy was one of 14 people, including a mother and son, held in dawn raids across Teesside over disorder in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool. Continue reading...

Cher Maximen's condition life threatening', as Shakiel Thibou, 20, and his two brothers are remanded in custodyA woman stabbed at the Notting Hill carnival as she tried to stop a fight is in a coma in a life-threatening condition, a court has been told.Shakiel Thibou, 20, appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday charged with the attempted murder of Cher Maximen, 32. Continue reading...

Israel says operations were to thwart Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructures' and claims all dead were militantsIsraeli forces killed at least 10 Palestinians in the West Bank in overnight raids and airstrikes they said were intended to contain attacks on Israelis using Iranian-supplied arms.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the West Bank operations, some of the most extensive in recent years, were likely to go on for some days, in what it described as a preventive campaign to forestall attacks on Israelis. Continue reading...

Injured hiker became stranded after co-workers descended without him before storm in Rocky mountainsA Colorado man survived a night on a mountain by himself - while injured - after being left behind by his co-workers during an office retreat, which rescue officials pointed out may lead to some awkward encounters at the office in the coming days and weeks".Colorado's Chaffee County Search and Rescue South (CCSAR-S) shared the hiker's harrowing ordeal in a Facebook post earlier this week, saying that at about 9pm last Friday, it was activated for a report of an overdue hiker". The hiker was wearing all black on the standard route of Mount Shavano, a high mountain summit in the southern Sawatch range of the Rocky mountains. Continue reading...

Targeting of government-funded group active in Hebron hills brings punitive measures closer to Israeli cabinet

Department for Transport's annual travel poll shows car or van trips up 8% as Covid-era shift to cycling fizzles awayPeople in England are walking record distances, official figures show - but charities have said more needs to be done to get individuals on their feet.According to government data, the average walking journey increased in length last year, even as most other forms of day-to-day travel continued to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. Continue reading...

Prime minister says agreement will be a boost to our trading relations'. This live blog is closed

Debt-laden company tells Ofwat if it cannot charge customers 59% more, it would prevent turnaround and recovery of company'Thames Water has said it will be unable to recover from its funding crisis if it is blocked from charging customers significantly more, as it proposed to pile an extra 228 a year on to household bills.The debt-laden company said the increase to bills that has been proposed by the industry regulator, Ofwat, leaves its activities neither financeable nor investible". Continue reading...

Josh Greally, 28, had earlier pleaded guilty to public order offence over incident during election campaignA man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of throwing what appeared to be a coffee cup at Nigel Farage during the recent general election campaign.Josh Greally, 28, was sentenced to six weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, at Barnsley magistrates court after throwing items at the Reform UK leader who was campaigning in the South Yorkshire town. Continue reading...

Both men escape without serious injury after aircraft crash-lands on A-road near Cotswold Gliding ClubTwo pilots of a light aircraft escaped without serious injury despite crash-landing on to a busy A-road in Gloucestershire.After landing, the plane appeared to have skidded through a hedge and ended up on the westbound stretch of the A419 between Cirencester and Stroud. Continue reading...

Parker Magid worked for Beck & Stone, which is close to shadowy fraternal order and Claremont InstituteA senior aide to Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, once worked for a far-right political consultancy that touts its capacity for clandestine actions" and has links to a network of extremist groups and thinktanks, the Guardian can reveal.Parker Magid was recently appointed as Vance's press secretary and his employment history links Vance and his circle to elements of the extremist right far outside the mainstream of American politics. Continue reading...

PM does not rule out setting up system in future after meeting with Olaf Scholz, who stressed desire for closer ties

Deario Wilkerson was hiding in an attic of a house where police were searching for him before fell through the ceilingA murder suspect in Memphis, Tennessee, was found and arrested on Monday after he fell through the ceiling from the attic space of the house he was hiding in, officials said.An arrest warrant had been issued for the suspect, Deario Wilkerson, 20, three months ago, in early May, in connection with a fatal shooting in downtown Memphis on 2 April, the US Marshals Service said. Wilkerson was charged with first degree murder and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. Continue reading...

Instead of chastising the family over the breakage of the jar, which is at least 3,500 years old, the director of the Hecht Museum invited them backA rare bronze age jar - its history stretching back at least 3,500 years - had long graced the entrance of the Hecht Museum in Haifa, Israel, offering visitors a closeup look at an intact artefact believed to predate the biblical King David and King Solomon.That is, until it was accidentally smashed by a four-year-old earlier this week. Continue reading...

A man was arrested for wearing a mask and possession of a weapon, but critics say law is overly broad and unnecessaryPolice in the suburbs of New York City made the first arrest under a new local law banning face masks, officials announced on Tuesday.Nassau county police say officers on Sunday night responded to reports of a suspicious person on a street near the Levittown and Hicksville town line, about 30 miles (48km) east of Manhattan. Continue reading...

Former global director of Frieze says she is thrilled' to take up position left by Nicholas CullinanVictoria Siddall has become the first female director of the National Portrait Gallery in London, taking over the position left by Nicholas Cullinan who departed for the British Museum in June.Siddall has been a key figure in the arts for more than two decades, mostly working in the commercial sector. In 2012 she rose to prominence after launching Frieze Masters, going on to become global director of the contemporary art fair which takes place in London every October. Continue reading...

Companies need regulator go-ahead on significant increases or they will not be able to aid plan, says Water UKLabour's key housebuilding target will not be met if water companies are blocked from significantly increasing bills, the leader of an industry group has said.The government has promised to build 1.5m homes during this parliament as a central pillar to its plans to end the housing crisis. Continue reading...

As globe's most prolific record setter, David Rush says taking on challenges are great way to promote Stem in educationThe thrill David Rush felt the first time he beat his brother at something has driven him to more than 180 concurrent Guinness World Records, he revealed.In an interview with the Washington Post published Monday, Rush, who makes his living giving motivational talks, recounted how he frequently came in second or third when competing against his two older brothers in football, table tennis and swimming while growing up in Boise, Idaho. It was in a swimming race with one of his siblings that he finally turned the tables, igniting in him a competitive streak that he keeps alive these days by staking a claim as the globe's most prolific Guinness World Record setter. Continue reading...

Carmaker increases portfolio to 14 and will also launch challenge in large and luxury vehicle sectors

Exclusive: Former national construction union secretary digs in, while ETU suspends Labor and ACTU contributions in protest of trial by parliament'

Tim Pallas warns of an adverse effect' as the Albanese government faces opposition from the Greens and its own state ranks

Emergency services worked to free the pair after winds toppled tree in western Victoria's Gellibrand but the male driver died at the scene

FCA to launch market study into pure protection products to discover if they provide fair value' to consumers

Annual CPI rise down in July after the federal government's energy subsidy cut electricity bills by 5%