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State's efforts unable to persuade company to stay amid growing risk for carriers as climate crisis increases strength of stormsFarmers Insurance became the latest property insurer to pull out of Florida on Tuesday despite repeated efforts by the state's legislature and its Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, to try to calm the volatile market that is making home ownership less affordable.Farmers informed the state that it was discontinuing new coverage of auto, home and umbrella policies. The company said in a statement that the decision would affect policies issued through its exclusive agency distribution channel". It said there would be no effect on 70% of current policies in Florida. Continue reading...

Comb and gold hair-ring dating back more than 3,000 years unearthed near Barry in south WalesThey are sometimes depicted as unkempt and wild-haired but the discovery of what is being billed as possibly the UK's oldest wooden comb suggests prehistoric people liked to take care of their appearance.The comb and a beautifully crafted hair-ring, dating back more than 3,000 years to the bronze age, were unearthed near the seaside town of Barry in south Wales. Continue reading...

Broadcaster prepared to accept consequences of dropping defence and paying damages less than two weeks before start of trial

Tesla Electric seeks executive with healthy scepticism of status quo' to manage entry into UK energy marketElon Musk's Tesla is poised to disrupt Britain's energy market with the launch of a new household supplier.The maker of electric cars, which also runs an energy supply business in the US, plans to begin selling electricity to homes and running virtual power plants", according to a recent job listing. Continue reading...

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Plea comes after administrators were appointed to Nassif's firm Toplace while he remains subject to an arrest warrant

Professional standards committee has reprimanded Teo and imposed conditions on his registration

US couple gives evidence to New Zealand court in case against island's owners and tourism operatorsAn American couple who were badly burned when Whakaari/White Island erupted in December 2019, killing 22 of the 47 people in its crater, told a New Zealand court that neither their guides nor anyone else involved in their trip to the crater told them that such an event was likely - or even possible. Information about the dangers they faced on the island volcano was minimal, they said, and safety protections lax.Evidence from Matthew Urey, 40, and Lauren Urey, 36, opened the prosecution's case in the Auckland district court on Wednesday, beginning a lengthy trial for the island's owners and other tourism companies involved in the ill-fated trip. Continue reading...

Rocket went 1,000km, says South Korea, after Kim Jong-un's sister threatened shocking' consequences for alleged US spy plane flightsNorth Korea fired a ballistic missile off its east coast towards Japan on Wednesday, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said, in a move that followed threats of retaliation for alleged US spy plane flights.The missile flew about 1,000km (621 miles) before crashing into the water, South Korea's military said. Japan's chief cabinet secretary said the missile came down about 250km west of Okushiri island in Japan's northernmost Hokkaido prefecture, after a flight taking 74 minutes that reached an altitude of more than 6,000km. Continue reading...

Antony Blinken speaks at launch of US-led coalition to address synthetic drug threatsWho is responsible for the United States' opioid epidemic? According to the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, the culprits are transnational criminal enterprises" who need to be tackled via international law enforcement operations.But according to Chinese state media, the fentanyl crisis in the United States is demand-driven", primarily by the users themselves". Continue reading...

Magistrates under fire amid controversial inquiries involving leading figures in Meloni coalitionItaly's far-right government is embroiled in a power struggle with magistrates amid controversial investigations involving leading figures within the ruling coalition.In a memo citing sources from the office of the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, a segment of the judiciary" came under attack for choosing to play an active opposition role" in allegedly attempting to bring down her administration ahead of next year's European parliamentary elections. Continue reading...

Senate inquiry told about firings at KPMG, Deloitte and EY in wake of tax scandal at PwC

Nathaniel Whitehall, 55, represented a woman for a traffic infringement in court despite being unqualified

But Sag-Aftra says it will not extend Wednesday night deadline to reach deal before going on strikeAs Hollywood was bracing for the possibility of the first simultaneous strike by Hollywood writers and actors in more than sixty years, the Screen Actors Guild said it had agreed to a last-minute request" to work with a federal mediator in contract negotiations with film and TV studios.But the union said it would not extend its Wednesday night deadline to reach a deal before its 160,000 members go on strike, citing their frustration with the studios' negotiating tactics. Continue reading...

When Wagner forces turned their guns against Russian forces it led to panic in Moscow. But after the coup was aborted and its leader accused of treachery, it was business as usual for the group's lucrative Africa operations. Pjotr Sauer and Jason Burke reportYevgeny Prigozhin's march on Moscow caused panic and led Vladimir Putin to go on the airways to condemn the head of Wagner. He decried the treachery' and vowed to liquidate' what remained of Wagner - and many assumed Prigozhin himself.In the days that followed, something more subtle happened. As our correspondent Pjotr Sauer tells Nosheen Iqbal, while Russian state TV has called Prigozhin corrupt and traitorous, it emerged that he had been invited for a face-to-face meeting with the Russian president. Continue reading...

Federal court rules 65-year-old Wakka Wakka man had not demonstrated any lesser enjoyment of right to social security

Roberts-Smith is appealing federal court verdict which found, on the balance of probabilities, he was complicit in four murders in Afghanistan

HC-One employed nurse at Tower Bridge Care Centre, which was found to be not safe' by inspectorsOne of Britain's biggest care home companies employed an 80-year-old senior nurse in a short-staffed care home who was older than some residents and not strong enough to help lift them.HC-One employed the octogenarian at Tower Bridge Care Centre, which was found by inspectors to be inadequate" and not safe", in a case that highlights a chronic shortage of care workers across the UK. Continue reading...

Advertising Standards Authority rules against two promoted tweets featuring Premier League coachesThe advertising watchdog has banned two adverts run by the sports betting business Ladbrokes for appealing to under-18s by featuring well-known Premier League managers including Frank Lampard and Eddie Howe.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched an investigation into the two promoted tweets, published in January and February, after concerns that the use of images of managers of top flight teams would break UK rules banning ads that have a strong appeal" to young people under 18 years old. Continue reading...

Theresa May and Tim Loughton among more than a dozen backbench Tories criticising billRishi Sunak's immigration bill was heavily criticised by senior Conservative MPs as the government overturned amendments made by the House of Lords.Theresa May and Tim Loughton were among more than a dozen backbench Tories seeking further changes to the illegal migration bill, which the prime minister says is crucial to stopping small boats from crossing the Channel. Continue reading...

NSW police say the woman has not been formally identified but is believed to be in her 50s

Leaders of military alliance sign off on declaration that does not give Ukraine firm membership timetable

Separate allegations emerge as police force investigates whether there is a criminal case to answerThe Metropolitan police have asked the BBC to pause its inquiries into a suspended male presenter while specialist officers decide if there is any justification for a criminal investigation.The BBC director general, Tim Davie, said the Met had taken control of the inquiry, although the police were still at the scoping" stage of their inquiries and may decide there was no criminal case to answer. Continue reading...

As the Sun distances itself from a key part of the story, questions hang over what actions it took before publishingThe Sun is facing questions over the reporting that led to the suspension of a well-known male BBC presenter.On Saturday the tabloid broke the story with a front page article, claiming a well-known presenter" gave a 20-year-old crack cocaine user more than 35,000 since they were 17 in return for sordid images". Continue reading...

Teenager remains in police custody after Jamie Sansom suffered stab wound at Tewkesbury AcademyA popular teacher who was stabbed in a Gloucestershire school has said he is hoping to be back in the classroom before the end of the summer term and insisted that no children were under threat during the attack.Jamie Sansom, who suffered a single stab wound at Tewkesbury Academy at the start of the school day on Monday, said reports that he was breaking up a fight were not correct. Continue reading...

Campaigners call for ban of nitrates and nitrites in food production with 61 trusts across country affectedScores of hospitals are giving patients meat cured with chemicals that scientists and food safety experts increasingly fear may cause cancer.Sixty-one NHS trusts in England are serving meat in their hospitals that may contain nitrates or nitrites despite growing evidence internationally implicating them in the development of cancer. Continue reading...

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg says alliance will issue invitation after conditions are met'

Deividas Skebas found to have committed killing last July and is expected to be given hospital orderDeividas Skebas killed nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte by stabbing her in the heart as she played with a hula hoop in the street, a jury has decided.Skebas, 23, was deemed unfit to plead or face trial due to his mental health, and on Tuesday after a two-day trial of the facts at Lincoln crown court he was found to have committed the killing. Continue reading...

Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition wins first of three votes required for controversial changes to become lawTens of thousands of Israeli demonstrators have blocked motorways across the country and access to Tel Aviv's airport as part of a day of disruption" in protest against the government's renewed push to advance controversial legislation overhauling the judiciary.In the first of three readings on Monday night, Israel's parliament - in which the governing coalition headed by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, holds 64 of 120 seats - voted in favour of a bill scrapping the reasonableness" standard that allows the supreme court to overrule government decisions. Continue reading...

Lenders expected to put money aside in second quarter to protect against defaults

Nepali pilot and five Mexican passengers killed after aircraft crashes soon after takeoff near LuklaAll six people onboard a tourist helicopter in Nepal have been killed after it crashed soon after takeoff in the Everest region.The Manang Air flight was heading for the capital, Kathmandu, from near Lukla, a gateway for climbing expeditions to the world's highest peak, with five Mexican tourists - two men and three women - and a Nepali pilot onboard. Continue reading...

Latest updates: Tim Davie says gap between initial contact and approaching presenter was reasonable but there may be some learnings' from caseAt the BBC annual report press briefing, director general Tim Davie made a statement addressing the unfolding situation concerning the allegations against the BBC presenter.He said:This is clearly a complex and difficult situation where we need to manage a number of factors - properly responding to serious allegations, sensitively managing duty of care issues, appropriately respecting the privacy of individuals and justified public interest.We do believe we are navigating these responsibly and judicially but we recognise it's not easy to do so.As a result of this the BBC has been asked to pause its own investigation into the allegations while they scope future work. We will pass any material that we have to them.We know that questions have been asked how this case was initially managed and the timeline of events, so today we have published an update that sets out key dates and further detail. Continue reading...

Miranda Dickson says it is sad a second complaint was made when there are so many more serious issues'An Edinburgh woman who was forced to repaint her bright pink door after a protracted row with her local council is facing a further investigation into her interpretation of off-white".Miranda Dickson painted her door pink when she renovated her childhood home in Drummond Place, situated within the Unesco world heritage-listed New Town area of the city, after the death of her parents. Continue reading...

Mothers say recommendations unlikely to secure meaningful change after Zephaniah McLeod's deadly attacks in 2020Jo Billington can vividly remember the moment police came to her home in Crosby, Liverpool, at 5am on 6 September 2020. They told her that her 23-year-old son, Jacob, had been killed in Birmingham, where he had been on a night out with his friends.They left saying we don't know anything about the incident, we just know Jacob has passed away. It's all in the news,'" she said. They gave me a non-emergency number to call but after an hour of trying to get through I rang 999 and said to the call handler: I've just been told my son has been killed in Birmingham, can somebody help me?' It was pretty grim." Continue reading...

Poverty campaigners, women's safety advocates and night time industries among those condemning First Bus plansA decision by a private company to scrap Glasgow's only night bus service has prompted an outcry from poverty campaigners, environmentalists and women's safety advocates as well as uniting pub and club bosses and politicians in condemnation.When First Bus announced on Monday that it was withdrawing its weekend night bus services across Scotland's biggest city from the end of July it resulted in an overnight backlash. Continue reading...

Former Smiths frontman criticises holiday firm for selling tickets for Tenerife zoo that offers animal showsMorrissey has written to Jet2holidays urging the tour operator to drop its association with marine parks that continue to use captive orcas and dolphins for entertainment.In a letter to the Jet2 chief executive, Steve Heapy, the former frontman of the Smiths said the mammals belonged in the open ocean where they could find food and socialise, which they could not do if they were in a cramped, concrete tank". Continue reading...

Death comes after state's chief health officer warned young people were at heightened risk from flu strain

Company goes all in on growth program in Anaheim, California, after cancelling $1bn project and pulling plug on Star Wars hotelThe ill-wind of Disney's war with Ron DeSantis over LGBTQ+ rights appears to be blowing some magic pixie dust towards California as the theme park giant reins back its investment in Florida and ramps up spending in the Golden state.Analysts see the company reprioritizing its expansion plans as its conflict with Florida's rightwing governor and his so-called don't say gay" law banning classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation escalates into a legal dispute. Continue reading...

France offers longer-range missiles to Kyiv as Nato summit gets underway in Vilnius; Stoltenberg cautions Russia over its nuclear rhetoric

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Head of data security Will Farrell tells parliamentary committee Australian data accessible on a very strict basis'

Chief health officer, Brett Dutton, issues alert over antibiotic-resistant shigella bacteria infections

Average rate rises to 6.66%, according to Moneyfacts, in more bad news for homeowners

Parliamentary privilege should be used sparingly, says Mel Stride on scandal engulfing corporationA cabinet minister has said he would not use parliamentary privilege to identify the BBC presenter at the heart of a scandal over alleged cash for explicit pictures, in an apparent move to discourage fellow MPs from taking that decision.A prominent male BBC presenter was suspended at the weekend after allegations he spent 35,000 buying explicit images from the young person, who was allegedly 17 years old when they started talking online. Continue reading...

Ex-soldier lost case against three newspapers in June with trial judge finding they had proven on the balance of probabilities that Roberts-Smith murdered unarmed civilians in Afghanistan

Exclusive: Leaked documents show that as little as 1% of products containing hazardous substances could be prohibitedThe European Commission is poised to break a promise to outlaw all but the most essential of Europe's hazardous chemicals, leaked documents show.The pledge to ban the most harmful chemicals in consumer products, allowing their use only where essential" was a flagship component of the European green deal when it was launched in 2020. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Data shows policy, deepening poverty among low-income families, affects about 1.5 million childrenLabour has come under fresh pressure to vow to scrap the two-child benefit cap after it emerged one in four children in some of England and Wales's poorest parliamentary constituencies live in families left at least 3,000 a year out of pocket as a result of the policy.The party's stance on the policy, which critics say has been a major driver of deepening poverty among low-income families, is estimated to affect about 1.5 million children and is seen by some in Labour as an indicator of the strength of its determination to tackle child poverty. Continue reading...

Mud engulfs houses and cars as island of Kyushu bears brunt of annual rainy season that is worsening with climate changeSix people died and three others were missing after the heaviest rain ever" triggered floods and landslides in south-west Japan.The Japan meteorological agency warned residents in Kyushu - one of the country's four main islands - to stay alert for more landslides, a common hazard in mountainous areas after heavy rainfall. Continue reading...

The 87-mile trail follows the River Tamar and links with other routes to create circular walk around whole countyFollowing the banks of one of the UK's great rivers, a new walking way has been unveiled linking the north and south coasts of Cornwall and for the first time creating a circular walk around the whole of the county.The 87-mile (140km) Tamara Coast to Coast Way broadly tracks the River Tamar, which forms most of the border between Cornwall and Devon, taking in landscapes ranging from wooded valley to rolling farmland, heather-covered moors and areas shaped by the region's mining history. Continue reading...

Administrator appointed to Toplace a month after arrest warrant issued for Nassif