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Invasive Species Council says rare rafting behaviour seen on cane farms south of Brisbane

The TV ceremony, pushed back as a result of the strikes, also saw major and historic wins for actors of colourBeef, The Bear and the final season of Succession reigned supreme at the delayed 2023 Emmy awards.Jesse Armstrong's hit HBO drama picked up six awards, including for actors Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen and the night's biggest award for best drama series. Continue reading...

Teenage boys killed in crash at McGraths Hill in Sydney's north-west on Monday night as state's death toll soars

EV market analyst says Australia's charging network is now growing at a faster rate than the EV fleet

Civilians killed in strikes on Erbil include a millionaire Kurdish businessman and his family, medical sources sayIran's Revolutionary Guards say they have attacked the espionage headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media has reported, while the elite force said they had also struck Islamic State targets in Syria.Ballistic missiles were used to destroy espionage centers and gatherings of anti-Iranian terrorist groups in the region late tonight," Iran's Guards said in a statement late on Monday, naming Israel's Mossad spy agency. Continue reading...

Petrol station owners will have to provide near-live data amid concerns drivers are being ripped offFuel retailers will be forced to share near-live information on price changes at the pump to help drivers find the cheapest petrol and diesel, after the government accused them of treating motorists as cash cows".Petrol station owners will be required to provide data within half an hour of any change as part of a political effort to bring transparency to the sector amid concerns that drivers are being ripped off. Continue reading...

Change to franchise brings UK in line with other major democracies which allow lifelong voting rightsAn estimated 3 million Britons living abroad for more than 15 years will regain their right to vote in all elections in the UK from Tuesday, ending 20 years of broken promises by successive UK governments.The end of the so-called 15-year rule means millions more could be enfranchised in time for the next general election, the date of which has yet to be decided by the prime minister, Rishi Sunak. Continue reading...

More than 7,000 hospital admissions and deaths could have been avoided if people had been fully vaccinatedOlder people are being urged to become fully vaccinated against Covid as a world-first study shows thousands of hospital admissions and deaths in the UK could have been avoided if everyone had had all of their doses.The rollout began strongly in the UK, with 90% of the population over the age of 12 vaccinated with at least one dose by January 2022. However, rates of subsequent doses fell sharply, a study shows, with less than half the population fully jabbed by June 2022. Continue reading...

Persistent band of snow' likely across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England and WalesThe UK is set to experience its coldest night of the winter season this week, thanks to an Arctic blast that is travelling from the north to the south.Temperatures are expected to be 5C-6C lower than usual for this time of year, falling to -15C in some areas. Continue reading...

Move to offer the monarch's photograph to UK bodies has been described as a shameful waste of money' by criticsA new official portrait of the king has been unveiled, created to hang in public buildings across the UK under an 8m government-funded scheme that an anti-monarchy campaign group has described as a shameful waste of money".The Cabinet Office announced last year that it had set aside funds to offer every public body - local councils, courts, schools, police forces, and fire and rescue services - a free portrait of King Charles. Continue reading...

Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith defy prime minister by supporting rightwing challenges to legislationRishi Sunak is facing a Conservative meltdown over the Rwanda deportation bill after two deputy chairs said they would support rebel amendments aimed at blocking international human rights laws.Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith have defied the prime minister by backing rightwing challenges to the bill, which will be debated by parliament on Tuesday. They will join as many as 70 other MPs said to be considering abstaining or opposing the controversial legislation. Continue reading...

Isaac Levido tells backbench Tory MPs to end infighting and focus on narrow path' to general election victoryRishi Sunak's campaign director has told fractious Conservative MPs to unite or face losing this year's election in a blunt message designed to rally the backbenches before a long and gruelling campaign.Isaac Levido, the Australian political strategist, told MPs at the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives on Monday night they could still win the election, but only if they get serious" and end party infighting. Continue reading...

Navy searches Gulf of Aden for Seals who fell into the water when trying to board vessel carrying Iranian missile parts to SomaliaUS Navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing US Navy Seals on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a US defense official said.Officials have said that the Seal mission was not related to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing US and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have conducted in Yemen over the past two days. Continue reading...

It is unclear how Ukraine succeeded in shooting down the command planes flying above the Sea of AzovUkraine's military has shot down two of Russia's command planes, in one of the most disastrous days for the Kremlin's air power since the start of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion.Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's commander in chief, said his air force had destroyed an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and an Il-22 control centre plane. Both were flying above the Sea of Azov on Sunday when they were hit at 9.10pm local time. Continue reading...

US military says anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthi militants hit container ship; police describe incident in Raanana, north of Tel Aviv, as terrorist attackA video journalist from the Cairo-based television channel Al Ghad was killed in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in a strike that the channel blamed on the Israeli army.In a post on X, the station said it was announcing with a heavy heart" that Yazan al-Zwaidi was murdered by Israeli fire", Agence France-Presse reports. Continue reading...

Three members of a family receive notices from police amid concern about separatist campaigners' safetySikhs in the West Midlands have been issued threat to life" warnings, amid growing concern about the safety of separatist campaigners who Sikhs claim are being targeted by the Indian government.Three members of a family received Osman warnings in March from West Midlands police, meaning there is intelligence of a death threat or risk of murder but not enough evidence to justify an arrest. Continue reading...

Gibraltar Eagle vessel not seriously damaged in assault that raises some doubts over efficacy of UK-US action

Prime minister addresses MPs hours after Yemen-based group fires on another container ship in Red Sea

Amelie Oudea-Castera was accused of lying about why she enrolled her son in a private schoolFrance's new education minister has sparked the first major crisis for Gabriel Attal's new government following accusations she failed to give the true reason why she enrolled her children in a private school.The snowballing row threatens to derail French president Emmanuel Macron's attempt to give the government - which does not have an absolute parliamentary majority - a new lease of life before European elections in June. Continue reading...

Prime minister tells MPs that strikes were in response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red SeaIn his pooled TV clip this morning, Rishi Sunak refused to say whether he would sack Lee Anderson as the Tory deputy chair if he votes against the government on the Rwanda bill. Asked if Anderson and government frontbenchers might be sacked over this, Sunak claimed the Conservative party was united in wanting to stop the boats", but he avoided the question about potential disciplinary action.Asked a second time what might happen to Tory rebels, he replied:I'm talking to all my colleagues. I know everyone's frustrated, I'm frustrated about the situation, and they want to see an end to the legal merry go round. I'm confident that the bill we've got is the toughest that anyone has ever seen and it will resolve this issue once and for all.There have been lots of polls over the last year, there will be hundreds more polls.The choice at that election is clear, it's stick with our plan that is working, it's delivering change for people, ensuring they can have the peace of mind that there is a brighter future for their children and we can have renewed pride in our country.Absolutely. Look, the reason I think we can turn it around is because at least people know we have got a plan and we are working to it. There isn't a plan under Labour. Continue reading...

Two Palestinians arrested as police say suspects stole vehicles and ran over people in city of Raanana

Finance minister Christian Lindner met with jeers as he says he cannot promise more money at demonstration in Berlin

Departure of Alison Phillips adds to concerns about future of left-leaning paper as staff morale hits new low and more job cuts loomIn the space of a year, Reach, the owner of the Mirror, Express and hundreds of local newspapers, has parted ways with the two most senior members of its editorial leadership team and cut almost 800 roles in the biggest annual cull of jobs in the newspaper industry for decades.On Monday, Reach confirmed the departure by mutual agreement of Alison Phillips, a 26-year company veteran who was the Daily Mirror's first female editor since it was founded in 1903, re-igniting fears among staff that the pre-Christmas jobs cull will continue this year. Continue reading...

Firms risk falling short of EU's plans to impose mandatory quotas for women in corporate boardroomsMore men than women were appointed to the boards of large financial services firms in Europe last year, even as nearly a third of companies risked falling short of the EU's upcoming plans to impose mandatory quotas for women on corporate boards.A survey from the consultancy firm EY published on Monday reveals that 44% of non-executive appointments in 2023 were women, down from 51% a year earlier. Continue reading...

Aidarus al-Zoubaidi says government ground forces must supplement air attacks and urges west to helpThe US-led air campaign against Houthi will not be enough on its own to deter the threat to freedom of navigation along the Red Sea, a leading member of Yemen's UN-recognised government has told the Guardian.Aden-based Maj Gen Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, deputy head of the eight-strong Presidential Leadership Council, called on the west to supplement the air campaign by providing arms, training and intelligence sharing to government forces. The PLC is the executive body of the coalition of Yemeni parties opposing the Iran-backed Houthis, who in 2014 launched a revolt that drew in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the side of the government in a civil war that up to a 2022 ceasefire had led to an estimated 377,000 deaths. Continue reading...

Alberto Fioletti, 31, murdered Stephanie Hodgkinson in May last year after she ended relationshipA vet who stabbed his former partner to death at her seaside home after she ended their relationship has been jailed for life and told he will serve at least 15 years before being considered for parole.Alberto Fioletti, 31, went to veterinary nurse Stephanie Hodgkinson's flat with flowers and a card apparently hoping to salvage their relationship. Continue reading...

The 3,800 inhabitants of south-western Icelandic town fear they may never be able to return homeResidents of the Icelandic town of Grindavik fear they may not be able to return to their homes after volcanic lava destroyed several houses and damaged water and electricity supplies.The Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted for the second time in less than a month on Sunday morning, hours after the authorities had instructed residents to leave the fishing town in the south-west of the island after a swarm" of mini-earthquakes suggested an eruption was imminent. Continue reading...

Christopher Nolan's drama continues its awards ascent with eight honours and Greta Gerwig's pink fantasia is back in contention on sixThe eternally yoked-together blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer have cleaned up at the Critics Choice awards, suggesting the momentum is with both films as the Academy awards loom. Together the films won a total of 14 awards - with Oppenheimer edging their personal competition by 8 to 6.Oppenheimer dominated the headline awards, winning best picture, best director for Christopher Nolan and best acting ensemble, with Robert Downey Jr also picking up best supporting actor for his role as Atomic Energy Commission member Lewis Strauss. The film also won a number of craft awards, including best cinematography, editing and visual effects. Continue reading...

YouGov poll appears to play down impact of tactical voting, and Telegraph's analysis assumes the party can win back Reform votes

Aslef members to stage rolling industrial action at operating companies on national railway

US Central Command says missile from Houthi-controlled area of Yemen was launched towards USS Laboon before being shot down by fighter jets

Former MP for Liverpool Wavertree, who left party for four years, to lead its mental health strategyLuciana Berger has been given a key role in Labour's mental health strategy, five years after she left the party over its handling of antisemitism cases.The former MP for Liverpool Wavertree has been appointed to lead a cross-government strategy focused on lowering suicide rates by appointing thousands of mental health professionals to support people who self-harm. Continue reading...

Julian Hill calls for visa bans for extremist settlers' as Penny Wong prepares for a trip to the Middle East

Supreme court ruling is latest setback for jailed leader before general electionPakistan's supreme court has rejected an attempt by the party of the former prime minister Imran Khan to retain its traditional electoral symbol of a cricket bat, in the latest setback for the jailed leader before a general election.Khan's party, at odds with powerful army generals, has been grappling with a military-backed crackdown that has gathered pace before the vote due on 8 February. The party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleges the military is attempting to keep it out of the election race, a charge the army denies. Continue reading...

Improved oversight and a law to strip organisations of their power to take people to court are among measures gaining cross-party supportPlans to overhaul the growing cottage industry" of private prosecutions are already being urgently examined by ministers in the wake of the Post Office scandal, including measures that could see untrustworthy bodies barred from pursuing them.Labour is also understood to be drawing up its own reform package this weekend after the outcry prompted by the Post Office's use of private prosecutions against more than 700 post office subpostmasters. It means that there is growing scope for a cross-party commitment to complete any reforms after the election. Continue reading...

The cuts are already baked into the RBA's forecasts and economists say there is little point looking at alternativesCome 1 July, Australian taxpayers will have $20bn more to spend, a pulse of demand in the economy that will keep interest rates higher than they otherwise would be.That is courtesy of the controversial stage-three tax cuts that are legislated and, it seems, unlikely to be delayed or modified by the federal government.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

Hidden from travellers, Sydney's airport workers operate intricate networks of conveyor belts, birdwatch with shotguns and sniff out contrabandFlying over the harbour and into Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, the dazzling view of blue ocean lapping at the city's heart makes the claustrophobia of a window seat tolerable.For the 100,000-odd travellers who must endure some hectic combination of snaking queues, overpriced cafes, overweight bags and violated personal space before either arriving into or departing the city each day, the fleeting vista of a glistening Sydney stands out. Continue reading...

Meir Baruchin, who was fired and jailed for criticising the military, says that many who agree with him are afraid to go publicAn unlikely charge of intent to commit treason landed Meir Baruchin, a grey-haired, softly spoken history and civics teacher, in the solitary confinement wing of Jerusalem's notorious Russian Compound" prison in early November.The evidence compiled by police who handcuffed him, then drove to his apartment and ransacked it as he watched, was a series of Facebook posts he'd made, mourning the civilians killed in Gaza, criticising the Israeli military, and warning against wars of revenge. Continue reading...

The show's journey, like the scandal itself, was long and full of setbacks - and very nearly didn't get madeAlan Bates's campaign against the Post Office over the Horizon scandal might never have got off the ground without a few moments of luck and the availability of Fenny Compton village hall in Warwickshire.But the journey to bring the story on to ITV for New Year as Mr Bates vs the Post Office was equally precarious and relied on a webinar, a bike rack and plenty more village halls. Continue reading...

Warning comes at a critical time as Republicans in Iowa will gather for caucuses that mark official start of 2024 presidential electionBernie Sanders, America's leading progressive politician, has issued a stark warning to Joe Biden at the start of presidential election year: be more aggressive in addressing the anxieties of millions of struggling voters or risk handing back the White House to the anti-democratic demagogue Donald Trump.In an interview with the Guardian from his home base in Burlington, Vermont, Sanders urged the Democratic president to inject more urgency into his bid for re-election. He said that unless the president was more direct in recognising the many crises faced by working-class families his Republican rival would win. Continue reading...

Police arrest four men and a boy alleged to be connected to the Finks motorcycle gang and a series of arson attacks on tobacco stores

This blog is now closed. See all our our coverage of the Middle East crisis here

Marius Gustavson, 46, known as eunuch maker', allegedly oversaw lucrative' UK body modifications groupThe ringleader of an extreme body modifications group who was known as the eunuch maker" claimed 18,500 in disability benefits after willingly having his leg amputated, a court heard.Marius Gustavson, 46, was the mastermind of a lucrative" and widespread" extreme body modifications enterprise in which procedures - including the removal of genitals - were filmed and streamed on his pay-per-view website, the Old Bailey was told. Continue reading...

Bar Council chair Sam Townend KC says parliament should consider formal regulation of growing practiceParliament should consider formal regulation of the growing practice of private prosecutions to ensure the power is not abused, the chair of the Bar Council has said.Sam Townend KC said a review of private prosecutions should be launched in response to the Post Office scandal, in which about 3,500 postmasters were accused of theft, fraud and false accounting, and more than 700 prosecuted in cases brought by the organisation.Gather evidence of the alleged crime, possibly using a private investigator.Hand over evidence to a lawyer, who will review whether there is sufficient evidence to bring a criminal prosecution.Make an application at a magistrates court to bring a private prosecution. This will be reviewed and either granted or rejected by a district judge.The CPS may review the case at any time if the case is referred by the defendant, the private prosecutor or the court. The CPS can take over cases, either to proceed or discontinue.If you proceed privately, the case will (eventually) be heard in court.At the end of the case your lawyers can apply for costs to be reimbursed from the defendant and/or the public purse. Continue reading...

With Palestinian plight supercharging movement, restraint may only come with regional pressure on resources

UK prime minister also signs multi-year security treaty with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, calling it a strong signal to Putin'Rishi Sunak made a 2.5bn commitment to Ukraine's defence on Friday during a visit to Kyiv, and pledged that the UK would not falter at a time when military aid from the US has stalled.Sunak met the country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, embracing him warmly, and addressed Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. The two leaders held talks and signed a new UK-Ukrainian security treaty. It guarantees that the UK will give swift and sustained" help should Russia attack Ukraine again. Continue reading...

Jade Robertson of Perth-based Little Lies was thrilled to discover the star's latest foray into affordable fashionTaylor Swift has filled a blank space in her wardrobe with a 58 dress from a Scottish fashion house, leaving its owner gobsmacked".Swift was spotted wearing the olive-green mini dress in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday night while out for dinner with actors Blake Lively and Zoe Kravitz at the pizzeria Lucali. Continue reading...

Reed Wischhusen targeted former classmates and work colleagues, as well as Avon and Somerset policeA warehouse worker obsessed with mass killings has been jailed for life after being found guilty of plotting to carry out revenge" attacks at his old school, a police headquarters and his workplace.Reed Wischhusen's targets included former classmates whom he believed had bullied him, colleagues who mocked him, and Avon and Somerset police officers after the force refused him a firearms licence. Continue reading...

State hit by blizzards three days before Republican caucus as candidates cancel events and schools and businesses closeCandidates and caucus-goers faced extra challenges in Iowa on Friday as a second major snow event in a week hit the state, three days before Republicans are due to kick off their presidential nomination process for the critical election year.According to the National Weather Service in Des Moines, most of Iowa could expect significant, possibly record snowfall, high winds stoking blizzard conditions. Continue reading...

Attitude of organisation and its legal representatives is a disgrace', David Davis says, as Horizon IT inquiry continuesThe Post Office's leadership has been accused of showing contempt for victims after its lawyers informed a public inquiry into one of the nation's worst scandals that it was not reasonable to expect them to leave no stone unturned" in revealing its wrongdoing.The inquiry into the false convictions of 900 post office operators was further told that it was unrealistic for the lawyers representing the Post Office and responsible for handing over internal documents to continue to work during the evenings and over weekends". Continue reading...