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Deluxe wooden play kitchen, Barbie sets and pretend record player included in predictionYou may still be on your summer holiday, and it is weeks until the clocks change, but - Grinches look away - the countdown to Christmas has begun.With 124 sleeps to go, gift catalogues are landing on doormats, tickets to winter wonderlands and skating rinks are being booked and heaven help you if you haven't joined a waiting list for a posh beauty Advent calendar.Squish-a-Longs 14-pack - 14.99Play-Doh Rainbow Swirl Ice Cream Set - 20.99VTech My 1st Record Player - 27.99Gecko Hexbug - 29.99Bonnie Bear - 32.99Lego Sleigh - 39.99Connetix Magnetic Tiles Rainbow Motion Pack - 45Ultimate Barbie Stables - 69.99Melissa & Doug Vending Machine - 79.99Wooden Deluxe Play Kitchen - 250 Continue reading...

IDF says it has killed Muhammad Mahmoud Najam in attack in southern LebanonThe Lebanon Health Ministry said one adult and one child were killed in an Israeli strike on southern Lebanon, Haaretz is reporting.Lufthansa will resume flights to Amman in Jordan and Erbil in Iraq starting 27 August, Reuters is reporting. Continue reading...

Indian PM calls on Ukraine and Russia to open dialogue as soon as possible to find way out of conflictMykhailo Podolyak, an adviser in the Ukrainian president's office, has told Reuters that Narendra Modi's visit to Kyiv is significant because New Delhi really has a certain influence" over Moscow.It's extremely important for us to effectively build relations with such countries, to explain to them what the correct end to the war is - and that it is also in their interests," he said. Continue reading...

Search for woman continues after pavement she was walking on collapsed beneath her in Malaysian capitalA woman is missing after falling into an eight metre (26ft) deep sinkhole in the Kuala Lumpur city centre on Friday after the pavement caved in, burying her, Malaysian authorities said.It happened in the Dang Wangi area of the Malaysian capital. The local police chief, Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, said that based on witness accounts, the woman was walking along the pavement when the earth suddenly collapsed beneath her. Continue reading...

Coffin of Elsie Dot Stancombe travelled on horse-drawn carriage and carried up pink carpet towards balloon archThe life of seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, who was killed in the Southport knife attack, was celebrated with balloons, bubbles and her favourite Taylor Swift music at her funeral service.

Italian prosecutors investigate potential manslaughter charges over sinking as final body reportedly retrievedProsecutors in Italy are investigating potential manslaughter charges relating to the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian as a body believed to be Mike Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was recovered.The Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily early on Monday morning when the area was hit by violent storms. Seven people, including the British tech entrepreneur Lynch, were killed. Continue reading...

Several departures from Heathrow and Leeds Bradford cancelled and hundreds of homes hit by power cutsFlights have been grounded and the Leeds festival has been forced to shut down some of its stages amid severe weather warnings over Storm Lilian.High winds led to disruption across the north of England, with yellow warnings for wind in place on Friday morning and expectations of gusts of up to 80mph. Continue reading...

Three of five stages of Junior Tour of Wales changed as support vehicles would not have kept up with cyclistsOrganisers of a cycle race in Wales have been forced to change and shorten its route because of the introduction of the 20mph speed limit in parts of the country.Three of the five stages of the Junior Tour of Wales, which starts on Friday, have been changed because support vehicles would not have been able to keep up with the riders without breaking the limit. Continue reading...

Report finds that during trial Judge Robert Newlinds repeatedly called crown case hopeless' and vilified the alleged sexual assault victim

Mark Ross to appear before magistrates in connection with death on Tuesday of Claudiu-Carol KondorA man has been charged with the murder of a delivery driver who was killed while out on his rounds in Leeds this week.Mark Ross, 32, was due to appear at Leeds magistrates court on Friday over the death of 42-year-old Claudiu-Carol Kondor. Continue reading...

President accused of dragging his feet over appointing new prime minister and failing to accept results of electionLeaders of France's leftwing coalition will demand Emmanuel Macron agree to let them form the country's new government as the president holds a series of meetings to break the six-week political deadlock.Macron has already rejected the New Popular Front's (NFP) candidate to be appointed prime minister, saying he wants a government leader with broad and stable" support to avoid a parliamentary vote of no confidence that would cause further political chaos. Continue reading...

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High-profile Sydney bar and restaurant group issues public apology as award-winning bartender comes forward alleging workplace sexual assault

Rail freight workers to return to work and trains expected to start running within days after ministers interveneWorkers at Canadian National Railway will begin returning to work, the Teamsters union said, hours after the government moved to end an unprecedented rail stoppage.The union said the stoppage at Canadian Pacific Kansas City would continue pending an order from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). The union and company officials were scheduled to meet with the board on Friday morning. Continue reading...

As the group prepare for Act 1.5, a Bristol festival aiming to have the lowest emissions of any big music event, Robert Del Naja says decarbonised touring is possibleAs pop stars fly on private jets and haul stage sets around the world, with their fans collectively generating significant emissions via their own travel to gigs, Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja has said it's time to act" and address the environmental damage wreaked by live music.A home town Bristol show on Sunday, titled Act 1.5 - a reference to the 2015 UN climate treaty that asked countries to keep global heating to under a 1.5C threshold - will be 100% powered by renewable energy, in what the band say is a world first" for an event of its scale. Thirty thousand fans will attend the one-day festival, which also features the US rapper Killer Mike, the Irish folk group Lankum and the actor Samantha Morton's solo music. Continue reading...

Merri-Bek, Darebin and Moonee Valley mayors back e-scooter hire schemes after Melbourne city council ejects the vehicles from the CBD

More than 2,000 people reported feeling the quake, which struck 120km northwest of Newcastle, causing windows to blow in and a chimney to topple

Single Mother Families Australia CEO asked why magistrates and courts don't share information live, saying the technology already exists

Prisoners including Nobel prize winner Narges Mohammadi were reportedly beaten for protesting against a recent executionThere are fears for the fates of women's rights activists imprisoned in Iran after a surge in executions since the election of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, in July.

Billionaire mining magnate reveals her defence and economic blueprint for Australia at News Corp's bush summit in Townsville

About 19.2 million people likely to hit road for leisure trips and more than 2 million expected to fly overseasTravellers are being told to expect widespread disruption this bank holiday as delays and congestion are predicted across key roads and rail routes, and airports are expecting more than 2 million people through their doors.On what is expected to be the busiest weekend for travel this year, the transport analytics company Inrix said the heaviest road traffic was likely on Friday between 10am and 6pm, and Saturday between 10am and 1pm. Continue reading...

Campaigners warn against false sense of security' and say asylum seekers in Scotland are fearful of the far rightAnti-racism campaigners have vowed to show the far right they are not welcome in Scotland after an anti-immigration rally was organised in Glasgow.But they warned against a false sense of security" as the disorder witnessed across England and Northern Ireland earlier in the month has not been seen in Scotland. Continue reading...

Victorian watchdog says betting agency repeatedly failed to take its harm minimisation obligations seriously

Report into prevalence of condition reveals stark north/south divide with the highest rates in north-westOne in five patients registered to a pair of GP surgeries in the north of England have long Covid, according to a report that lays bare stark regional inequalities.The north-west of England had higher than average numbers of people reporting long Covid symptoms, with just over one in 20 people (5.5%), followed by the north-east and Yorkshire (5.1%). Continue reading...

Shaan Karim, Thierry Robinson and Ashirie Smith have been remanded into custody after death at HMP Fosse WayThree men have been charged with murder after the death of a man at a prison in Leicester on Tuesday morning.Police were called to HMP Fosse Way after a 31-year-old inmate was found unresponsive in his cell. Continue reading...

Former England footballer removed from presenting lineup after workplace conduct complaintsJermaine Jenas, a presenter on The One Show and who appears on Match of the Day, has been sacked by the BBC after complaints about his workplace conduct.The former footballer, 41, said he was seeking legal advice after being taken off the air from both shows. Continue reading...

Relatives of Bryonie Gawith and her son and two daughters say they are still trying to comprehend what has happened'The family of a woman and her three children who were killed in a house fire in Bradford have spoken of their profound loss".Bryonie Gawith, 29, died along with Denisty, nine, Oscar, five, and 22-month-old Aubree after a fire at their home at about 2am on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Chile's leftwing president accuses supreme court of consolidating the fraud' after Brazil and Colombia stop short of supporting resultVenezuela's president Nicolas Maduro is facing a growing chorus of international outrage after the government-controlled supreme court endorsed his disputed claim to have won the presidential election.Venezuela's opposition has claimed Maduro tried to steal the 28 July election and has produced compelling evidence that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was the winner. Continue reading...

Marinovka airbase becomes latest target of Kyiv's ambitious long-range drone campaignUkraine has carried out a night-time drone attack on a Kremlin military airfield near the city of Volgograd and announced the capture of another village in Russia's Kursk region, as Russian forces pressed on with their advance in the Donetsk region.Volgograd's governor, Andrei Bocharov, said the strike took place at about 3am. Local people reported a series of explosions. Several hours later, ammunition continued to detonate as a vast carpet of black smoke engulfed the area. Continue reading...

Attack on patrol in the Rahim Yar Khan district that was targeting robbers also left seven woundedGunmen armed with rocket-propelled grenades have ambushed a police convoy in eastern Punjab province, killing at least 11 officers and wounding seven others, authorities said.No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday in the Rahim Yar Khan district. The officers were ambushed while on patrol in a deserted area in search of robbers who operate in the region. Continue reading...

Social media influencer and brother among six detained for crimes including trafficking and sexual exploitation of minorsA Romanian court has ordered Andrew Tate to be placed under house arrest, his representative said, after he was among six people taken into custody in an investigation into human trafficking and sexual exploitation.The former professional kickboxer and his brother Tristan were among six people detained on Wednesday for an initial 24 hours after Romania's anti-organised crime prosecuting unit, Diicot, conducted four house searches in Ilfov county and the Bucharest municipality. Continue reading...

Couple reduced dividends to 2.5m in 2023 after profits were hit by higher operating costs at their core groupJamie Oliver and his wife, Jules, paid themselves a 2.5m dividend last year - two-thirds less than a year before - after launching the first directly owned restaurant since Jamie's Italian chain collapsed.The couple took home 4.4m less than in 2022 as profits for their core group fell 37% to 3.4m despite a 14% rise in sales to 27m. Continue reading...

Warring sides indicate breakthrough not imminent as renewed fighting rages in parts of Palestinian territoryUS officials have expressed optimism that a ceasefire deal in the war in Gaza is in sight", despite growing indications from Israel and Hamas that a breakthrough is not imminent and as renewed fighting rages in parts of the Palestinian territory.Washington has put pressure on both parties to accept a bridging proposal suggested during internationally mediated talks in Qatar last week, dispatching the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on his ninth visit to the region since the conflict broke out 10 months ago. The latest round of negotiations, in which Hamas is not directly participating, were scheduled to restart in Cairo by Thursday but appear to have been postponed. Continue reading...

Peter Lynch, 61, was at front of mob that gathered outside hotel housing asylum seekers in ManversA 61-year-old man who waved conspiracy theory placards and screamed abuse at police outside a hotel housing asylum seekers was told he was a disgraceful example" of a grandfather as he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.Peter Lynch was at the front of a mob that gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, on 4 August, shouting scum" and child killers" at police, Sheffield crown court heard. Continue reading...

Stewart Wingate says 2.2bn plan will add to south-east's air capacity more quickly than Heathrow expansionThe boss of Gatwick said he hopes and expects" the government will back the airport's plans for a second runway, adding that its proposals would bring extra air capacity to the south-east more quickly than a third runway at Heathrow.Stewart Wingate, the airport's chief executive since 2009, said the 2.2bn plan to create a fully functioning second runway by the end of the decade had strong economic credentials and could chime" with the government's growth agenda. Continue reading...

Former Tory party chairman Jake Berry says former prime minister must have taken leave of his senses' when he called electionThe former home secretary James Cleverly has defended his record as he reacted to the latest Home Office figures which showed the outgoing Conservative government granted 286,382 work visas in the year to June 2024, 11% down on the previous year (see more details in post at 10.41)Home Office data also showed the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats fell by almost a third in Rishi Sunak's last year as prime minister.When I said I was going to cut migration, I meant it. Visas down, small boat arrivals down, cut the backlog & cut the asylum grant rate. It's not about words, it's about delivery. Continue reading...

Movement launched protest after party rejected requests for Palestinian American to speak on the main stageA sit-in that began Wednesday evening in protest of the Democratic convention's denial of a Palestinian American speaker on the main stage continued on Thursday.Uncommitted, a national movement that began in Michigan, won 30 delegates to the convention and has tried to use the party process to pressure Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to broker an end to the war in Gaza. The sit-in has been taking place outside the United Center, where Harris will speak this evening, is the latest attempt to get the Democratic party to allow greater prominence for the anti-war movement at this week's convention in Chicago. Organizers were expected to remain in place until or unless the party changes course. Continue reading...

Pommel horse guy' becomes first confirmed cast member for reality show's 33rd season premiering 17 SeptemberThe US Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik will appear on the new Dancing with the Stars season, ABC's Good Morning America hosts announced on Thursday.I want to bring some of that gymnastics - maybe a backflip or handstand. I want to have fun with it," Nedoroscik told GMA hosts Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Gio Benitez. Continue reading...

Teresa Woorman takes moment in limelight in her stride after cameras cut to her during Oprah Winfrey speechWhen the cameras panned over from Oprah Winfrey calling out childless cat ladies" at the Democratic national convention, they landed on an unsuspecting woman who nodded along to Winfrey's words and prompted plenty of reactions online - and a response from the woman herself.During Winfrey's speech on Wednesday, the cameras awkwardly cut to the audience member Teresa Woorman, a delegate from district 16 in Maryland. Continue reading...

Felipe David says he acted without thinking' when he saw the boy had gotten into trouble at Alicante apartmentA Brazilian migrant living in Spain has been hailed as a hero after he risked his own life to rescue a young child who was dangling precariously off a second-floor balcony in the coastal city of Alicante.Felipe David Souza, a 29-year-old painter, was preparing to head home on Wednesday when he heard screams outside the apartment where he was working. He glanced out and saw that a crowd of people had gathered on the street below. Continue reading...

Teaching events being relocated while urgent repairs carried out on 1970s structures with degraded concreteThe University of Leicester is dealing with a major incident" over crumbling buildings on campus that will be closed for years and require a major relocation of classes while they undergo repairs.Two large buildings on the university's main campus, where students attend hundreds of lectures and seminars each academic year, will be closed owing to concrete degradation and the corrosion of steel reinforcements that support the structures. Continue reading...

Tech tycoon, 59, was among six people missing since early hours of Monday morning when Bayesian yacht capsizedThe British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been confirmed dead by search and rescue authorities after his yacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm, according to officials.Lynch, 59, the founder of Autonomy Corporation, was among six people missing after the British-flagged 56-metre sailing boat Bayesian capsized at about 5am local time on Monday off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado. Continue reading...

Three adults and one minor arrested over suspected acts of terrorism against Palestinians, Israeli security services say. This live blog is closedThe crew of a Greek-flagged oil tanker that was attacked in the Red Sea on Wednesday abandoned the vessel and were rescued by the EU's Red Sea naval mission Aspides", an official in the mission told Reuters on Thursday.The Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Continue reading...

Building society staff surprised to receive card believed to date back to 1903 and addressed to Lydia DavisIn the age of next-day deliveries and speedy shipping from all corners of the world, the days of waiting around for a letter or package were thought to be over. In Swansea however, staff at a building society were taken aback after receiving a postcard that was delivered 121 years late.The card, printed with a view of a stag standing in front of snowy mountains, is believed to date back to 1903 but was only recently received by staff at Swansea Building Society in Cradock Street. Continue reading...

Tech tycoon's 18-year-old daughter Hannah is still unaccounted for, reports say. This live blog is closed

Birmingham was planning 300m in cuts but there are concerns the council's financial crisis was overstatedPoliticians in Birmingham have called for council cuts, thought to be the biggest in local authority history, to be halted or scaled back due to concerns the council's financial crisis may have been overstated.Birmingham city council is planning to make 300m in savings and sell assets worth 750m before April 2026 after it issued a section 114 notice, effectively declaring bankruptcy, in September last year. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Pledge comes after mayor met parents of Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad, who were killed in Wimbledon crashSadiq Khan will ask senior leaders in the Metropolitan police to consider expediting investigations into collisions where children have died after meeting the parents of the two girls who were killed in the Wimbledon school crash.The mayor of London's pledge comes after he met the families of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau. The two eight-year-olds died last year after a Land Rover ploughed into the Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London. Continue reading...

A quarter of all incidents, such as destruction of dams, pipelines and treatment plants, seen in Gaza Strip and West BankIsraeli attacks on Palestinian water supplies in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip accounted for a quarter of all water-related violence in 2023, as armed conflicts over dwindling resources surged globally, according to new research.Almost 350 water conflicts were documented worldwide in 2023, a 50% rise on 2022, which was also a record year, according to the Pacific Institute, a California-based non partisan thinktank tracking water violence. The violence included attacks on dams, pipelines, wells, treatment plants and workers, as well as public unrest and disputes over access to water, and the use of water as a weapon of war. Continue reading...

Comments come after wave of false claims online about suspect in killing of 11-year-old boyA Spanish judge has called for an end to social media anonymity in the wake of a wave of online disinformation after the killing of an 11-year-old boy.Miguel Angel Aguilar, a judge from the court that handles hate crimes and discrimination, wants to oblige platforms to reveal users' true identity in cases of suspected hate crime so the law can impose digital restraining orders. Continue reading...