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Extension of London's Ulez scheme is part of growing trend despite some backlash and implementation delaysThe high court has dismissed a legal challenge by five Conservative-led councils against the expansion of London's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez).Mr Justice Swift dismissed the councils' case on Friday, which means drivers of vehicles that do not meet minimum emissions standards will be charged a 12.50 daily fee for entering the Ulez zone. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereHere's some reaction from the Tories to Mr Justice Swift's decision on the Ulez expansion.The Conservative party's London mayoral candidate Susan Hall said:While it is a shame the high court did not find the Ulez expansion to be unlawful, there is no denying that Sadiq Khan's plans will have a devastating impact on families and businesses across the city.If I am elected mayor, I will stop the Ulez expansion on day one and set up a 50m pollution hotspots fund to tackle the issue where it is, instead of taxing people where it isn't.While there was insufficient evidence the Ulez expansion is unlawful, the evidence is clear that the policy will hit the poorest hardest, while having only a negligible effect on air quality.Sadiq Khan cannot ignore the overwhelming opposition of both Londoners and his own party for ever. We will continue campaigning to get the Ulez expansion scrapped, so we can tackle air pollution where it is instead of taxing where it isn't.I am satisfied that the mayor's decision to expand the Ulez area by amendment of the present road charging scheme, rather than by making an entirely new ... scheme, was within his powers. Continue reading...

Sir Howard Davies planning orderly transition' as bank hires lawyers to investigate account closures

Exclusive: Man experiencing mental health issues sought help from police but was later Tasered in hospital by officers who mistakenly thought he was armed with scissors

Minor party plans to door-knock Labor electorates in a national day of action' as it continues to call on the prime minister to include rent relief in package

State government yet to make a decision as it seeks consultation, while Waverley mayor calls for better options'

Ukrainian church has traditionally observed the holiday on 7 January, in line with the Moscow patriarchy

Local seismometer detects activity equivalent of 2.3 magnitude earthquake, comparable to 2011 Beast Quake'Taylor Swift's Eras tour performances at Lumen Field in Seattle on 22 July and 23 July generated seismic activity equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach.A local seismometer detected activity generated by dancing fans comparable to the famous 2011 Beast Quake", when Seattle Seahawks fans erupted in response to running back Marshawn Beast Mode" Lynch scoring a touchdown in an NFC wild card game against the New Orleans Saints. Continue reading...

President condemns rebellion as completely illegitimate' and calls for release of democratically elected Mohamed BazoumEmmanuel Macron has said the French government is prepared to support sanctions against the rebellious soldiers behind the coup in Niger, as he described developments in the country as dangerous" for the wider Sahel region.The French president's comments came as western powers scrambled to preserve a key ally in a region that has been destabilised by jihadist insurgencies, coups, and interventions by the Wagner mercenary group as Russian flags appeared at prominent sites around Niger's capital, Niamey. Continue reading...

Hartwig Fischer was appointed with a brief to develop a masterplan for badly needed renovationHartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum, is to step down next year after eight years at the helm of one of the country's flagship cultural institutions.The German art historian - the first non-British head of the museum since 1866 - said he wanted to focus on the rescue and preservation of cultural heritage in times of climate crisis, conflict, war, and violence". Continue reading...

Judge refuses Hong Kong government's request for injunction against Glory to Hong Kong, saying it could have chilling effectHong Kong's high court has rejected a government attempt to ban a protest song, Glory to Hong Kong, saying an injunction could create a chilling effect and undermine freedom of expression.The government had sought the injunction banning online publication or distribution of the song, arguing it insulted China's national anthem and could give people the impression that Hong Kong was an independent country. Continue reading...

Police called on Thursday evening after girl hit by motorcycle in Blakenall, West MidlandsA 14-year-old boy has been arrested after a seven-year-old girl was killed in a hit-and-run involving a motorcycle in Walsall.West Midlands police said officers were called to the Blakenall area of the town after the fatal collision on Thursday night. Continue reading...

Labour hits out at flailing' government for failing to process asylum claims more quicklyYvette Cooper has accused the government of flailing around" in its approach to tackling backlogs in the UK asylum system after it emerged the Home Office has bought tents ready to house up to 2,000 people on disused military sites.Labour's shadow home secretary attacked the government for failing to process asylum claims more quickly, although she refused to say whether Labour would also use tents to deal with the migrant housing crisis. Continue reading...

Coalition of 26 organisations say overhauls in policing plan launched last week are a missed opportunityA coalition of 26 racial justice organisations has criticised the Metropolitan police for refusing to accept the core finding of the Casey review that the force is institutionally racist.In an open letter sent to Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Met police, anti-racist groups describe the overhauls set out in the New Met for London plan launched last week as a missed opportunity" for the force to signal radical change, and acknowledge wrongdoing and deep failures. Continue reading...

Bus driver jailed after he closed doors on Joan Scott and she became trapped under rear wheelsA family have made a plea for more compassion on the roads after a bus driver was jailed over an accident in North Tyneside that led to a woman in her 80s having both her legs amputated.Scott Cliff mistakenly thought Joan Scott had previously dodged paying a fare and closed the doors as she attempted to board, Newcastle crown court heard. Continue reading...

Texas Thunderstruck becomes the most expensive bull sold in the country amid a surge in prices

Anthony Albanese said earlier on Friday that there would not be an election in 2023. Follow live

Police act with respect' to victims and people in custody, federal inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and children hears

Schools and businesses closed, trees uprooted and power lines disrupted as storm blows inTyphoon Doksuri swept into China's south-eastern Fujian province on Friday, bringing heavy rain and violent gusts of wind that shook power lines, uprooted trees and forced factories and shopping centres to shut.The second strongest typhoon to land in Fujian after the deadly Typhoon Meranti in 2016 also forced the closure of schools and the evacuation of workers from offshore oil and gas fields, state media reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities. Continue reading...

Court hears Judith Ann Venn was caring for her husband and was at the end of the road' when she killed him

Crisis-hit group plans to pay dividends worth 500m to investors after quarterly profits rise by 27%NatWest will make a fresh 190m payout to its largest shareholder, the UK government, after Downing Street had an influence in the resignation of Alison Rose as the bank's chief executive amid a row over Nigel Farage's accounts.The crisis-hit group said it was planning to pay dividends worth 500m to its investors after another strong quarter in which pre-tax profits rose by a higher than expected 27% to 1.8bn in the three months to June. That was compared with 1.4bn a year earlier, as the bank benefited from rising interest rates that allowed it to charge borrowers more for loans and mortgages. Continue reading...

National broadcaster published allegations about the execution of an Afghan prisoner knowing the claims were false, court told

Operations leader Emma Campbell says cut is due to ending of a temporary budget supplement and an internal efficiency dividend

Owner gives parliamentary inquiry no reason for fall over three years but says China's government could not conduct surveillance on app

Pat Conroy says former prime minister wrong on Australia's strategic environment and military solutions

Drones at military parade were said to have similar look to US drones as Japan warns that Kim Jong-un's regime posed a more serious threat than everNorth Korea has carried out demonstration flights of new military drones, state media reported, as leader Kim Jong-un shared centre stage with senior delegates from Russia and China in a show of unity at a parade in the capital.State media said on Friday that Kim rolled out his most powerful, nuclear-capable missiles during the Victory Day" parade in Pyongyang to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice that stopped fighting in the Korean War. Continue reading...

Vendors have reportedly been told the ceremony will be pushed as studios refuse to meet demands of actors and writersFox is expected to announce soon that the Emmy awards will be rescheduled to January next year due to the ongoing writers and actors strikes in Hollywood.Variety first reported on Thursday that vendors for the ceremony have been informed of an imminent date change, but not given an exact date, while the Los Angeles Times cited an unnamed source familiar with the plans, who said Fox was planning to move the telecast date to January.Reuters contributed to this report. Continue reading...

Sales turnover across most categories dips amid cost-of-living pressures ahead of RBA decision on cash rate next week

Christopher Mark Jordan, 36, of Scottsdale, did not enter plea when appearing in Launceston magistrates court for first time

Stamp for papers that enabled fast-track' through purgatory will be on show at a Hampshire prioryA seal matrix used to authenticate medieval indulgences and offer a fast track to heaven in exchange for cash is to go on display at a Hampshire priory after sending 500 years buried in a field.The small carved mould, dating between 1470 and 1520, was found by a metal detectorist two miles from Mottisfont, an Augustine priory and site of pilgrimage near Romsey, Hampshire, that is now owned by the National Trust. Continue reading...

Another 40 people have been rescued after boat overturned just after leaving wharf in Rizal provinceAt least 26 people have died and 40 have been rescued after a ferry capsized in the Philippines, officials have said, as the tail end of Typhoon Doksuri battered parts of the country.Officials said it remained unclear how many people were aboard the M/B Princess Aya, which capsized on Thursday in Laguna de Bay in Rizal province, east of Manila. Continue reading...

Since the politician's account with Coutts was closed, the story has dominated the news agenda. Does it show that something has gone very wrong in our banking system?On the surface it may not sound like a story that would generate national interest. A controversial politician finds his bank account with a bank catering to the ultra-wealthy has been closed. So why has it dominated news headlines?Last month Nigel Farage posted a six-minute video on social media explaining that his bank account had been shut, that he was struggling to find another one and that the establishment" was trying to force him out of the UK. He thought it was his political views that were behind the decision. But a later BBC story claimed it was a lack of funds, not his beliefs, behind the closure. Continue reading...

Prime minister to reintroduce the Housing Australia Future Fund to parliament next week, with a vote expected in the lower house by October

Helicopter footage from the scene shows debris of badly damaged aircraft, with five ambulance crews dispatched

The bassist and vocalist, who sang the hit Take It to the Limit, died of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseRandy Meisner, a founding member of the Eagles, has died at age 77, the band said on Thursday.Meisner died on Wednesday night in Los Angeles of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the Eagles said in a statement. Continue reading...

Productivity Commission cites harsh bail legislation as example of changes likely to exacerbate disadvantage

Exclusive: University of Sydney is a major shareholder in Innowell Pty Ltd, which developed the app

Report says that up to 2,000 people could be placed in marquees despite possibility of legal action against planTents could be used to house up to 2,000 migrants on disused military sites next month, under plans drawn up by the home secretary, Suella Braverman, in an effort to avoid accommodating asylum seekers in hotels.The Home Office bought the marquees in recent days ahead of an expected rise in small boat crossings in August, despite warnings by some in government that housing asylum seekers in tents could trigger legal challenges based on inhumane treatment. Continue reading...

British Retail Consortium points to crippling' business rates, the cost of living crisis and Covid as factors

Officials sent small number' of emails intended for Pentagon to Mali because of typing errorThe Ministry of Defence has launched an investigation after officials unwittingly sent emails containing classified information to a close Russian ally because of a typing error.A small number" of emails intended for the Pentagon were sent to Mali because of the accidental omission of an i" from an email address. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy posts video showing soldiers in village of Staromaiorske; Russian president says attacks have increased primarily on frontline in Zaporizhzhia

Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary had been on trial in Madrid and was awaiting the verdictA man from London who was stripped of his British nationality over his links to Islamic State has died in custody in Spain.Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, a former rapper who allegedly posed for photographs holding a severed head, was found dead in a Spanish prison on Wednesday, the interior ministry said. The cause of death is unconfirmed. Continue reading...

Ousting of boss of private bank may not be last departure as prime minister fails to back chairman Howard DaviesThe head of private bank Coutts has been ousted over the closure of Nigel Farage's bank accounts in a desperate attempt by NatWest to contain a crisis that has wiped 1bn off its share price.Peter Flavel's resignation from Coutts was pushed through by the NatWest interim chief executive, Paul Thwaite, but despite the move, the future of its chairman, Sir Howard Davies, appeared far from secure. Continue reading...

Ulf Kristersson says there is a clear risk of something serious happening' amid growing Muslim anger at the attacks on Islam's holy bookThe Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has said that he is extremely worried" about the consequences if more demonstrations go ahead in which the Qur'an is desecrated, amid growing Muslim anger at a series of attacks on Islam's holy book.Attacks on the Qur'an in Sweden and Denmark have offended many Muslim countries, including Turkey, whose backing Sweden needs to join Nato - a goal of Stockholm's after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Critics say underfunded CCRC only investigated 17-year-long miscarriage of justice when handed evidence on a platter'The quashing of Andrew Malkinson's rape conviction after 17 years in jail has thrown a spotlight on to failures by the miscarriages of justice watchdog to take up his case earlier.The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) declined to grant Malkinson a new appeal hearing in 2012 and again in 2020, although it considered different evidence than in its third review. Continue reading...

Exclusive: David Campbell Bannerman, who wants to stand for South Norfolk, launched body that attacked privileges committeeRishi Sunak is under pressure from Conservative MPs to kick off" a controversial rightwing politician from the party's approved candidates' list after his grassroots organisation campaigned to deselect Tory MPs and attacked the integrity of the privileges committee inquiry into Boris Johnson.David Campbell Bannerman, a former deputy leader of the UK Independence party (Ukip) who defected back to the Tories in 2011, has said he wants to stand for the safe South Norfolk constituency, where the party has a majority of 36,000. Continue reading...

Longstanding issue for community given little attention compared with closure of ex-Ukip leader's Coutts account, says mosque chairThe furore over the closure of Nigel Farage's bank accounts with Coutts has led to the resignation of two chief executives and an intervention by Downing Street.But, when nearly a decade ago, three Muslim organisations, including Finsbury Park mosque, had their HSBC bank accounts shut, there was little public acknowledgment or support. Continue reading...

Fire safety concerns and lack of lifejackets noted on the 500-capacity barge, moored in Portland, DorsetMinisters are planning to send the first 50 people to a controversial barge used for housing asylum seekers next Tuesday, but there have been fresh calls for a delay over safety concerns.The government has already been forced to push back the planned start date for commencing operations on the Bibby Stockholm, which ministers hope will reduce the costs of accommodating those who cross the Channel on small boats. Continue reading...

Campaigners criticise plan to increase oil and gas production despite extreme heat in EuropeShell has reignited outrage among climate activists by handing billions to its shareholders after making profits that campaigners have described as obscene".Protests were held outside oil company's London headquarters on Thursday after it reported second-quarter profits of just over $5bn (3.9bn) in the same week that wildfires linked to the climate crisis burned across Mediterranean countries. Continue reading...