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Ukraine president visits wounded soldiers in New York and questions Russia's right to a security council seat ahead of key speech at UN general assembly

Figures reveal NSW is expected to be back in the black next financial year and will focus on paying down debt

The comedian, presenter and actor has been accused of sexual assault, emotional abuse and rape between 2006 and 2013 - allegations Brand denies. Alexandra Topping explains why such stories can be particularly difficult to investigateRussell Brand's public persona has always been outrageous, controversial and sexually explicit. Yet despite multiple falls from grace he became a ubiquitous presence in the British media as a TV and radio presenter and comedian. After yet another scandal he left the UK for the US - starring in Hollywood films and being briefly married to the pop star Katy Perry.But now he has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. The allegations against him come from a number of women, one of whom says Brand started a sexual relationship with her when she was 16 years old that spanned seven years. Nosheen Iqbal hears how alongside serious assaults, former colleagues say his inappropriate behaviour on and off air went unchallenged. Continue reading...

Police allege the man initially attacked a male student with a frying pan then stabbed two female students

Acting commissioner says use of bean bag rounds suspended in state after Krista Kach Tasered and shot by officers in Newcastle last week

China's latest missing minister underscores the move to centralised rule, and how questioning Xi's judgement has become increasingly dangerousThree weeks after he was last seen in public, there is still no official confirmation about what has happened to Gen Li Shangfu, China's defence minister and the latest senior official to be seemingly swept up in China's political purges.Last week, Reuters reported that Li, along with eight other senior officials, was under investigation for the corrupt procurement of military equipment relating to his time at the helm of the equipment division of the Central Military Commission, the military's ruling body, between September 2017 and October 2022. US intelligence has also made similar conclusions. Continue reading...

Former PM became lighting rod for discontent' among some voters as analysts say her time in office associated with Covid falloutAs the final month of campaigning in New Zealand's election begins, one figure is noticeably absent for observers abroad: former prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

Police allege Stanley Turvey fired a shot in the air during attempted arrest near Shepparton

Recapture of two villages near Bakhmut by Ukraine hailed as important breakthrough; Kyiv dismisses six deputy defence ministers Continue reading...

Hundreds have demonstrated demanding urgent' international investigations into the disaster that left thousands deadProtests broke out in the Libyan city of Derna on Monday, with hundreds venting their anger against authorities and demanding accountability one week after a flood that killed thousands of residents and destroyed entire neighbourhoods.Later in the evening, angry protesters set fire to the house of the man who was Derna's mayor at the time of the flood, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, his office manager told Reuters. Continue reading...

Residents warned to be prepared on Tuesday as weather bureau predicts Wednesday could be even hotter with extreme fire danger

Leaders insisted war in Ukraine had not distracted them from sustainable development goalsWestern leaders have gone on a charm offensive on the opening day of the UN general assembly as they were forced to defend their record in meeting the organisation's sustainable development goals (SDGs), and insist that the war in Ukraine had not distracted them from this commitment to end global inequality.At a special summit in New York amounting to a halfway stocktake on progress towards meeting the goals by the target date of 2030, all sides acknowledged there was little chance that the ambitious set of commitments set in 2015, including ending extreme poverty and safeguarding the environment, will be met on schedule. Continue reading...

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Siamak Namazi was held in Iran's notorious Evin prison for nearly eight years before the $6bn prisoner swap on MondayAn American citizen freed in a complex exchange deal after being imprisoned for nearly eight years in Iran has urged the Biden administration to launch a gamechanging global endeavour" to end the Islamic regime's longstanding practice of holding foreign nationals hostage.Siamak Namazi, 51, was one of five US citizens released on Monday under the terms of an agreement that saw five Iranians facing charges in the United States granted clemency and Iran being given access to $6bn of previously frozen oil revenues. Continue reading...

Prints symbolising British summertime appear on fashion week catwalk alongside modernised version of brand's staple productThe scene before the biggest show of London fashion week was quintessentially British: an orderly queue for tea, coffee and eccles cake. Britishness, along with trenchcoats and checked scarves, is what Burberry stands for. This is surely the only catwalk show where Hollywood action hero Jason Statham, acclaimed choreographer Wayne MacGregor and Arsenal striker Bukayo Saka can be found rubbing shoulders in the front row.The first look on to the catwalk was a trenchcoat. The trench is a Burberry staple - but this had a notably slimmer cut, an elegant dropped-waist silhouette, and was black rather than beige. There were more trenchcoats to follow: some sleeveless, some leather, all of them sleek and minimal. Continue reading...

Promoters cancel comedian's one-man theatre shows in Windsor, Plymouth and WolverhamptonThe promoters of Russell Brand's standup show have pulled his appearances over the next 10 days, while the actor and comedian's publisher announced it was pausing" all future book projects with him.Brand also failed to appear for his regular 5pm live show on the video platform Rumble on Monday. He used his last appearance on Friday evening to deny the rape and sexual assault allegations against him that were published at the weekend. Continue reading...

Licensing hearing will decide whether multi-city Electric Group can run venue after serving eviction notice on longstanding leaseholderPeople in Sheffield have protested against what they call a hostile takeover" of one of the city's best-known music venues.About 100 people gathered outside Sheffield town hall on the first of a two-day licensing hearing to decide the future of the Leadmill, which helped launch the careers of Pulp, Arctic Monkeys and Self Esteem. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham says reports Rishi Sunak wants to cut line short at Birmingham beggared belief'Northern leaders have called on Downing Street to honour promises to build the HS2 high-speed rail line, as ministers repeatedly refused to confirm to MPs whether it would run to Manchester.Doubts over the future of the multibillion-pound HS2 project are growing after the junior transport minister Richard Holden dodged multiple questions in the Commons. Continue reading...

Esther McVey and Philip Davies accused of hosting love-in' with the chancellor, prompting 45 complaintsGB News breached impartiality rules when two Conservative MPs interviewed the chancellor before the spring budget and failed to represent a wide range of significant views", Ofcom has found.Esther McVey, a former pensions minister, and her husband Philip Davies, a longstanding MP, were accused of hosting a love-in" interview with Jeremy Hunt on 11 March for their weekly morning show on the channel. Continue reading...

Claims reported on Saturday related to incidents said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013Police have received a report of an alleged sexual assault in in the wake of media reporting of allegations against Russell Brand, Scotland Yard has said.The 48-year-old comedian and actor has been accused of rape, assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame working for the BBC, Channel 4 and starring in Hollywood films. He denies the allegations. Continue reading...

Workers whose wrongful convictions for theft and false accounting have been overturned to receive payment from governmentEvery post office operator whose wrongful conviction over the Horizon IT scandal has been overturned will receive 600,000 in compensation from the government, ministers have announced.The Horizon scandal, described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history", resulted in more than 700 post office operators being prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 for theft, fraud and false accounting because of faulty accounting software installed in the late 1990s. Continue reading...

Joe Biden announces return of detainees as US in turn frees five Iranians under controversial agreement

US and Iran agree to free five people each under deal also involving transfer of $6bn in unfrozen Iranian assets

Exclusive: Leadership needs to act with urgency to address culture of racism' instead of focusing on performative' elements, says adviser

The pathway to victory has narrowed, with some corporate support becoming more muted as polarisation has increased

Ian Jarratt says consumers could make better choices if downsized products were easily spotted, like at French chain Carrefour

Ex-football coach and serial paedophile dies in jail, the Ministry of Justice saidSerial paedophile Barry Bennell, who abused boys as a football coach, has died in prison aged 69, the Ministry of Justice has said.A Prison Service spokesperson said: Prisoner Barry Bennell died at HMP Littlehey on 16 September 2023. As with all deaths in custody, the prisons and probation ombudsman will investigate." Continue reading...

Joe Biden is taking risks with detainee swap, but US can now test the waters with Tehran on its nuclear programme

MP touted as rising star in Tory party says condition makes it difficult, if not impossible to keep up with the demands' of role

Foreign affairs chief in clash with Ursula von der Leyen as he issues broadside against unilateral action'EU member states expressed incomprehension" when the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, rushed into a migration pact with Tunisia, it has been revealed.The concerns were raised in July both verbally and in writing, the EU's chief diplomat responsible for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, wrote in a letter dated 7 September that has been seen by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Alice has told BBC Radio 4 Brand started a relationship with her when she was 16 and he was 31Russell Brand's response to allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse has been insulting", one of his accusers has said, as she claimed he sent a BBC car to bring her to him from the gates of her school when she was a 16-year-old pupil.Alice, who spoke under a pseudonym to protect her anonymity, has told the Sunday Times that Brand started a relationship with her when she was a teenage schoolgirl and he a 31-year-old man with fame and influence. Continue reading...

Cord Jefferson's story of a novelist (Jeffrey Wright) grappling with the publishing industry's expectations of black writers is now practically guaranteed serious Oscar considerationAmerican Fiction, the literary satire starring Jeffrey Wright as a novelist grappling with the publishing industry's expectations of black writers, has won the Toronto international film festival's influential People's Choice award, a result that practically guarantees it serious Oscar consideration and contention for major awards.Described by the Guardian as hilarious and withering", American Fiction triumphed over pre-festival favourites such as Alexander Payne's The Holdovers and Hayao Miyazaki's final film The Boy and the Heron, which were named the runners-up. It is written and directed by Cord Jefferson, a credited writer on TV shows including The Good Place, Watchmen and Station Eleven, and now making his feature directing debut. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president praises soldiers as military says powerful damage' inflicted on Russian forces

Ukrainian forces claim to have recaptured key frontline village of Klishchiivka near Bakhmut; Ukraine government dismisses six deputy defence ministers including Hanna Maliar

Investigators say at least six individuals escaped to EU countries after deacon allegedly took bribes

Politicians urge women to speak to officers about claims of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by BrandPolice should be called in to investigate rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse allegations against Russell Brand, senior politicians have said.Both the chair of the Commons women and equalities committee, Caroline Nokes, and the pensions minister, Laura Trott, on Monday expressed their hope that women who have described their painful experiences with Brand would come forward and speak to officers. Continue reading...

Club and AFL CEO apologise after patron left in tears by a contracted security guard

Stretch of very unusual' hot weather enters fourth day as temperatures climb significantly above average in NSW, Victoria and South Australia

Sri Lankan sportsman allegedly choked woman and told her he wouldn't get her pregnant, court hears

Young woman told court the former Liberal party staffer's pants were unzipped and his penis was out a bit'

Nearly 400 pubs closed their doors for good in England and Wales in first half of 2023, almost as many as the whole of 2022The number of pubs in England and Wales that shut their doors for good rose sharply in the first half of 2023, prompting warnings to the government that planned rises in business rates could force further closures in the beleaguered sector.Figures show that 383 pubs, or more than two a day, vanished" in the first six months of this year, almost matching the total for the whole of 2022, when 386 were lost. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: An investigation by the Sunday Times and Dispatches accused Brand of rape and sexual assault, leaving the entertainer and the companies that employed him facing serious questions Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Allegations that Russell Brand raped and sexually assaulted several women at the height of his career have thrown the entertainment industry into crisis. Today, politicians of all stripes are expected to demand explanations from TV executives about what they knew - and when.In a detailed investigation by, the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4 Dispatches, five women accused Brand of abusive and predatory behaviour, including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013. Brand denies the allegations, and said his relationships were always consensual".Russell Brand | Broadcasters have launched urgent investigations into the historical conduct of Russell Brand while the Metropolitan police has appealed for any potential victims to come forward after the comedian was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.Labour | Keir Starmer has committed to pursuing a major rewrite of the Brexit deal with the EU if Labour is elected, citing his responsibility to his children and future generations. He told the Financial Times he would seek a closer trading relationship with Brussels when the agreement negotiated by then-prime minister Boris Johnson comes up for review in 2025.Economy | Liz Truss will blame the UK's economic problems on 25 years of economic consensus" as she doubles down on the policy proposals that helped trigger financial turmoil and caused her to be ousted from Downing Street after just 49 days. The former prime minister will give a speech at the Institute for Government on Monday, almost exactly a year since her government's mini-budget", which caused the pound to crash and ultimately led to her downfall.Donald Trump | The former US president, and Republican frontrunner for the 2024 nomination, said people in his party speak very inarticulately" about abortion and criticised those who push for abortion bans without exceptions in the cases of rape, incest and the health of the mother.Russia | US oil and gas multinationals are facing fresh questions over their trade with Russia after customs records revealed that more than $7.1m (5.7m) worth of equipment manufactured by Halliburton has been exported into the country since it announced the end of its Russian operations. Continue reading...

Campaigners criticise tokenistic' initiative started after polling showed almost all students experience bouts of lonelinessMillions of teenagers across Britain will arrive at university for the first time on Monday as freshers' week begins.Almost all will experience bouts of loneliness with nearly half being worried they will be judged if they admit to it, according to a sample of 1,000 students, collected by YouGov for the government.Spend time helping other people, such as volunteering with student groups or by offering a regular conversation to someone feeling isolatedKeep in touch with friends and family over the phoneArrange something fun to do with your current friendsJoin a club or society at university to connect with others who have similar interestsDo things you enjoy, such as playing sport, reading or listening to musicBe open to everyone, as university is a great place to meet people from all different backgroundsRemember some people only share the good things happening to them on social media so try and avoid comparisonTalk to someone you trust about how you feelGet in touch with the university's student services about the welfare and support it can provideRemember that others may be feeling similar, so you are not alone Continue reading...

Students tell of secret acts of defiance ahead of the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in police custodyYoung Iranians have taken their protests against the authoritarian regime underground one year on from the death in custody of a 22-year-old woman detained for allegedly wearing the Islamic headscarf incorrectly.The death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September last year led to the largest wave of popular unrest for years in Iran and a brutal crackdown by security services in response, with hundreds of men, women and children killed and thousands more injured, according to human rights groups.At the beginning of the uprising, one of these two women, both 25, was arrested at a protest gathering and spent 16 days in prison. One of her fellow inmates was Yalda Aghafazli, a 19-year-old protester who died under suspicious circumstances after her release Continue reading...

More than 36% of properties have had asking price cut at least once - the highest figure since 2011UK house sellers are cutting their asking prices at the fastest rate in more than a decade, after high interest rates dampened demand for property this summer.The proportion of homes on the market which have had at least one price reduction is at its highest level since January 2011, the property website Rightmove has reported. Continue reading...

Consultants and junior doctors will take joint action this week for the first time in escalating pay disputeNHS officials have warned that doctors' strikes this week are likely to cause disruption to patient care unlike anything before", as Wednesday will see consultants and junior doctors taking joint strike action for the first time in the escalating dispute over pay.Junior doctors, who have already staged five days of industrial action this year, will now strike again from 20 to 22 September - the first day of which coincides with action by consultants. Continue reading...

Louise Beaston says their lives were shattered when her husband was charged after speaking out about the tax office's pursuit of tax debts from small businesses

Taiwan's defence ministry said that since Sunday it had spotted 103 Chinese military aircraft over the sea, a number it called a recent high'Taiwan's defence ministry has urged China to stop destructive, unilateral action" after reporting a sharp rise in Chinese military activities near the island, warning such behaviour could lead to an increase in tensions.China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has in recent years regularly carried out military drills around the island as it seeks to assert its sovereignty claims and pressure Taipei. Continue reading...

A senior party source says Mundine made it very difficult for himself' in race to succeed retiring NSW senator Marise Payne