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UK director of European development bank reports to Rachel Reeves, who has been critical of previous governmentA former Conservative deputy prime minister who lost her seat at the last general election applied for a job in Labour's Treasury department.Therese Coffey also had a stint as the health secretary and was one of Liz Truss's fiercest allies when she was prime minister. Continue reading...

Number of sexual offences rises 10% and reports of sexual harassment double to 1,908, figures showViolence against women and girls on British railways has risen by more than 50% over two years, according to official figures.The number of crimes against women and girls rose from 7,561 in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023, and the number of sexual offences rose 10% from 2,235 to 2,475, according to a survey commissioned by British Transport Police. The survey, first reported in the Times, also found the number of sexual harassment reports doubled to 1,908, over the two-year period. Continue reading...

Parts of the Queensland coast copped a battering overnight of more than 100mm in less than six hours

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Coalition leader's escalated rhetoric immediately rejected by senior Albanese government figures

Rules blamed for destroying' NSW nightlife to be dumped, making it easier for venues to get permission for people to stand while drinking on footpaths

Jayson Gillham was scheduled to perform at Melbourne Town Hall on Thursday but he was dropped for going beyond the remit of his contract'

The White Stripes frontman will return to the Corner hotel, joining St Vincent, the Offspring and Roisin Murphy for Always Live 2024, a 17-day statewide eventJack White, former frontman of the White Stripes, will be returning to the small but mighty Australian music venue that birthed one of his biggest hits, Seven Nation Army, for a one-off gig in December.White, who released a surprise solo album in July, will be headlining Victoria's Always Live initiative, a 17-day program now in its third year, which will also bring St Vincent, Roisin Murphy, the Offspring and rising electronica star Anyma to Australia. Continue reading...

A 46-year-old Carrara woman due to appear in a Gold Coast court, Queensland police say

Body of Kris Maharaj, who died in Florida prison hospital despite judge finding him innocent, will be taken to UK by his wife for burialDuring the 38 years Kris Maharaj spent incarcerated in Florida prisons insisting he was innocent of murder, his wife, Marita, dreamed of a life together back in Britain.This week they will finally be reunited on home soil but not in the way she had hoped. Continue reading...

Sale of hundreds of empty homes designed, but not used, for Commonwealth Games attacked as absolute scandal'Hundreds of empty homes in Birmingham, originally designed as an athletes' village for the Commonwealth Games, will be sold by the council at a loss of more than 300m to the taxpayer.Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Perry Barr where the apartments are located, said it was an absolute scandal" that the Labour-led authority had agreed last week to sell more than 700 homes to a private company in a deal forecast to result in a multimillion-pound loss. Continue reading...

Confused messaging from leaders as Kremlin attempts to play down significance of events

Gary Rooney was told he had resigned voluntarily by not replying to the billionaire's email about Twitter 2.0Twitter has been ordered to pay a record fine of more than 550,000 (470,000) to a former senior employee at its European headquarters in Ireland, after it was found to have dismissed him unfairly when he failed to respond to an email from Elon Musk calling on staff to be extremely hardcore".When Musk paid $44bn in October 2022 for the social media platform, which he rebranded the following year as X, Gary Rooney was a director of source-to-pay", a procurement role, in Twitter International's Dublin office. Continue reading...

Josh Kettler departs before the Sussexes' Colombia trip with both sides agreeing he was not the right fitA top aide to the Duke of Sussex has left his role after just three months after mutually agreeing he was not the right fit.Josh Kettler took up the post of chief of staff in May before the Sussexes' tour to Nigeria. His departure comes as Harry and Meghan prepare for a working trip to Colombia this week. Continue reading...

Another teenager admits throwing lighted arrows at police outside Holiday Inn in separate case in SheffieldA 13-year-old girl has admitted punching and kicking the entrance to a hotel housing asylum seekers.A day after two 12-year-old boys became the youngest people to be convicted over England's recent riots, the girl appeared before a district judge in Basingstoke. She is one of at least 50 people under the age of 18 who have been charged in connection with the recent disorder. Continue reading...

Ioan Pintaru, 32 appears in court charged with attempted murder after girl was attacked in central London on MondayA man has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl who was stabbed eight times while visiting Leicester Square as a tourist with her mother.Ioan Pintaru, 32, appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday and is also charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place, which the court heard was a steak knife. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closedGreece's opposition wasted little time Tuesday lambasting prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' centre right government for what has been described as a lacklustre response to the inferno.Stefanos Kasselakis, who heads the main opposition Syriza party, said that he had only witnessed three water-bombing aircraft in action - and not the 35 that officials had cited - when he visited the operational headquarters of the civil protection ministry.I will say yet again that from the eruption of the fire on Sunday the time that it took to respond by air was five minutes and with fire engines seven minutes.The reality is this: that despite the speed of the operational response - the new dogma that in combination with the technical support of drones has been enforced with the hundreds of fires confronted this summer - when extreme conditions prevail the problem becomes insurmountable. Continue reading...

Former PM and others accused over actions of police who fired on protesters, killing shop owner crossing streetA court in Bangladesh has ordered an investigation into the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's alleged role in the death of a grocery shop owner in the capital, Dhaka, during last month's student-led protests.The case filed by Bangladeshi citizen Amir Hamza against Hasina and six others was accepted by Dhaka's chief metropolitan magistrates court after a hearing, Hamza's lawyer, Anwarul Islam, said. The magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury ordered police to investigate the case, Islam added. Continue reading...

Universities Superannuation Scheme acquires shared ownership properties from US private equity group

Police say employees and officers assaulted during protest at Elbit Systems UK building in GloucestershireSeven people have been charged using terror laws over a Palestine Action protest at an Israeli-based defence firm's site, the Crown Prosecution Service said.The incident happened at the Elbit Systems UK building near Patchway, Gloucestershire, on 6 August. The CPS said it would be submitting to the court that the offences had a terrorist connection". Continue reading...

Man in balaclava filmed spraying $V tag on work in south-east London, as another Banksy appears at London zooOne of the nine murals put up by Banksy in London in as many days has been defaced.An image of a rhino appearing to mount a clapped-out Nissan Micra with a traffic cone on its bonnet appeared in south-east London on Monday and was confirmed as a Bansky on the artist's Instagram account. Continue reading...

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In return, Keating chastises former US House speaker for her recklessly indulgent visit to Taiwan' in 2022A war of words has broken out between the former Australian prime minister Paul Keating and the former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi over Taiwan, after the prominent Democrat accused Keating of making a stupid statement" about the territory.Keating was quick to hit back on Tuesday, suggesting Pelosi had very nearly" sparked a military confrontation between the US and China over her indulgent" 2022 visit to Taiwan. Continue reading...

Tomato and pepper growers call for UK to strike deal with EU to avoid disruption and duplicate testingVegetable growers in the UK have said crops could be adversely hit this year after post-Brexit border changes resulted in delays to seed imports.Trade bodies representing UK tomato and pepper growers said new rules for seed imports from the EU were causing delays of up to six weeks for deliveries, disrupting their growing schedules and finances. Continue reading...

Private sector wages growth was up just 0.7% for the June quarter, the equal lowest since the end of 2021

One in four practices capping number of patients they see to 25 a day amid first action in 60 yearsAlmost half of GP surgeries in England are staging industrial action for the first time in 60 years amid a row over funding, with one in four capping the number of patients they see to 25 a day, a survey suggests.Family doctors voted overwhelmingly in favour of collective action earlier this month in protest at the last government increasing their budget by only 1.9% this year. The new government has pledged to increase funding for 2024-25 to 6%. Continue reading...

Job listings portal's revenues plunge and CEO says paid ad volumes expected to keep falling this financial year

Street artist has revealed new work on his Instagram every day since a goat silhouette appeared last MondayBanksy has revealed the eighth artwork in his animal-themed collection in London, a mural of a rhinoceros that looks as though it is climbing on top of a car.The street artist has been presenting artwork on his Instagram at about 1pm every day since Monday 5 August. Continue reading...

Attempt to show gratitude to Paul Spiers, 63, in Beckenham turns sour as Veolia says he cannot accept giftAn uplifting story of a community rallying to show its gratitude to the man who keeps their streets clean has soured after his bosses said he could not accept their donations for a holiday.More than 200 people in Beckenham, south-east London, made contributions to send Paul Spiers on a summer break in Portugal. By Monday, 3,000 was in the kitty, mostly from small sums of 5 or 10. Continue reading...

Arms supply had been halted over role in Yemen war, but move is sign of hope kingdom can help resolve Gaza conflictThe United States has confirmed it will resume sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, as concerns over human rights in the kingdom's Yemen war give way to US hopes for it to play a role in resolving the conflict in Gaza.More than three years after imposing limits on human rights grounds over Saudi strikes in Yemen, the state department said it would return to weapons sales in regular order, with appropriate congressional notification and consultation". Continue reading...

Some residents of wealthy Italian village reportedly passing on photos to police who are hunting illegal unitsIt is baking hot in Portofino, but the atmosphere has turned decidedly chilly among residents of the exclusive Italian coastal village since a crackdown was imposed on air-conditioning units.With a year-round population of just 379, Portofino has emerged as Italy's wealthiest municipality and is well known for being a magnet for the rich and famous. Continue reading...

Backers are reportedly told the former prime minister has been sounded out as paper's global editor-in-chiefBoris Johnson has reportedly been courted for an executive role with the Daily Telegraph by a potential bidder for the newspaper group.The former Conservative prime minister is said to have been sounded out by his former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who has approached a number of wealthy backers about assembling a potential bid for the Telegraph newspapers and Spectator magazine. Continue reading...

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin orders USS Abraham Lincoln strike group to quicken transit to Middle East and deploys guided missile submarine, says Pentagon

Prosecutor says it cannot be proved the Dutch contestant caused serious fear' in backstage incident involving camera operatorSweden has closed an investigation into the Dutch Eurovision contestant Joost Klein, who was disqualified from the 2024 final in Malmo after a camera operator accused him of threatening" behaviour, the prosecution authority has announced.The singer was barred from performing his song Europapa hours before the Eurovision final on 11 May, after a female member of the production crew claimed he had made a threatening movement towards her after his semi-final performance two days earlier. Continue reading...

Ex-House speaker tells event attended by top Californian Democrats: VP makes us proud'. Plus, can grunting improve your gym performance?

Catherine Mann says Britain should not be seduced' by price rises easing to the BoE's target

Exclusive: Dr Ziad Basyouny is the first of several independents expected to challenge federal Labor seats amid the Israel-Gaza war

New text reveals any party can terminate their collaboration on nuclear-powered boats with just one year's notice

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Meanwhile, a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic is increasingly likely to develop into named storm in next few daysStorm Debby, which initially struck Florida as a hurricane, caused widespread destruction as it moved up the east coast, leaving many without power and dealing with severe flooding.The storm brought significant damage across Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, with power outages affecting large areas days after the storm's passage. In Steuben County in New York, heavy rain triggered flash flooding, leading to road closures and evacuations. In Pennsylvania, numerous water rescues were necessary as flood waters rose rapidly. Continue reading...

Trio who allegedly raped woman after she met another man for a Tinder date have pleaded not guilty

Change in shopper behaviour is sweeping through company earnings in Australia and overseas

Cyclist Emma Finucane and weightlifter Emily Campbell dominate sports headlines as 2024 Games come to a closeUK and French newspapers have celebrated their countries' athletes at the end of the Olympic Games in Paris, with many of the British papers featuring cyclist Emma Finucane and weightlifter Emily Campbell.The Guardian's sport section goes with Something incredible: Team GB performance hailed despite several near-misses", below a picture of Campbell, who won a bronze medal. The incredible" comment was the bullish message" coming from Team GB after an extraordinary 16 days of action", the paper reported. Continue reading...

City economists predict annual rate to rise to 2.3% in July after two months at Bank's 2% targetThe Bank of England is poised for a setback in the battle against high inflation this week amid expectations for a first increase in the headline rate this year, highlighting the pressure from the cost of living crisis.In a week of key updates from the British economy, official figures on Wednesday are expected to show inflation returned above the Bank's 2% target in July, driven in part by fast-rising prices for air fares, package holidays and hotels. Continue reading...

NSW police found body of woman with stab wounds after discovering a second person dead in Burwood courtyard

Robert and Anne Geeves are accused by the prosecution of conspiring to deliberately impregnate the teenager so they could take her baby. They deny the accusations and have pleaded not guilty

Experts demand fresh focus on harms of nicotine products as number who both smoke and vape doublesThe proportion of adults who vape in the UK is at its highest level, with the number who both smoke and vape doubling over the past three years, according to analysis.The number of smokers who use both cigarettes and vapes has increased from 17% in 2021 to 32% in 2024 - the equivalent of 2.2 million people. Continue reading...

RAC urges government to give councils funding to fix pothole-ridden roads after years of underinvestmentThe number of UK drivers concerned with the state of local roads has hit record levels, according to the RAC, as the government faces pressure to fix the country's battered infrastructure.The motoring body urged the government to provide more funding for councils to fix the state of local roads after it found 56% of the 2,700 drivers surveyed put the poor condition of council-maintained roads as their top concern. Continue reading...

Bosses of UK's biggest companies are now paid 120 times more than average full-time worker in some instancesPay for the bosses of the UK's 100 biggest listed companies has increased to the highest level on record, with the average chief executive paid more than 100 times the average full-time worker in Britain.As millions of households cut back on spending amid the cost of living crisis, analysis by the High Pay Centre showed median pay for a FTSE 100 chief executive increased from 4.1m in 2022 to 4.19m in 2023. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Justin Welby condemns violent disorder of recent days as unchristian'