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UK singer-songwriter played an acoustic Woody Guthrie song for members of the Community and Public Sector Union taking industrial action

Member of girl group Twice says she ‘didn’t correctly recognise the meaning’ of symbol on Sid Vicious T-shirt she woreChaeyoung, a member of Twice – one of the most globally successful K-pop groups – has apologised after wearing a T-shirt featuring a swastika.The 23-year-old’s T-shirt featured an image of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious wearing a swastika logo. She posted a photo of herself wearing it on her Instagram account to her 8.6 million followers, but soon deleted it, replacing it with an apology. “I didn’t correctly recognise the meaning of the tilted swastika in the T-shirt I wore,” she wrote. “I deeply apologise for not thoroughly reviewing it, causing concern. I will pay absolute attention in the future to prevent any situation similar from happening again.” Continue reading...

Last-minute settlement comes as court was selecting jury for trial, in case brought by musician Tyler Armes who claimed he wrote major elements of the hit songPost Malone has settled a songwriting lawsuit over his hit song Circles, just before it reached a jury trial.Musician Tyler Armes had claimed that he wrote major elements of the 2019 US No 1 hit single, including the guitar melody and keyboard chords, and gave input on what became the bassline. “I was beside him giving input – I was not just someone hanging out in the room,” Armes claimed. He said he was offered a five per cent share of publishing royalties, and claimed negotiations for a higher share were shut down by Post Malone’s manager. Continue reading...

Just 16.9% of unionist and nationalist voters oppose post-Brexit deal, survey findsPeople in Northern Ireland who support Rishi Sunak’s post-Brexit deal vastly outnumber those who oppose it, according to a survey.Asked if they opposed the Windsor framework, just 16.9% of voters agreed, suggesting there is a desire to move on from political battles over trading arrangements. Overall 45% of voters did not oppose the revised deal, with around a third neither agreeing or disagreeing. Continue reading...

Leifer has been on trial for nearly six weeks on over the alleged abuse of three sisters when she was principal of the Adass Israel school

Joel Russo raped the woman and held her head under water at Merri Creek in 2019

Messages sent prior to violent confrontation encouraged group to ‘grab them and drag them by their fucking hair’

Opposition attempts to move bill but possible expulsion of Moira Deeming from Liberals threatens to expose party faultlines

Charity says more than 250,000 asylum claims may be ruled inadmissible under illegal migration billThe cost of detaining and accommodating people under the UK government’s controversial plans to tackle Channel crossings could amount to more than £9bn in the first three years, according to a refugee charity.More than 250,000 people, including up to 45,000 children, could have their asylum claims deemed inadmissible under the illegal migration bill in that time, the Refugee Council said. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: The former prime minister faces the Commons privileges committee over allegations he intentionally misled Parliament – this is what’s at stake

Gavin Fineff, who stole millions of dollars from clients and friends to service his addiction, sends message to politicians in Canberra

Queensland police allege the teenager was filmed after being held against her will

Harassment and threats common, finds Citizens Advice survey, which discovers MoJ rules were broken in at least a third of casesMore than 2 million people have been contacted by bailiffs during the cost of living crisis, according to Citizens Advice, with a majority of those who came into contact with a debt collector reporting they felt harassed or intimidated.The charity estimates that bailiffs added £250m in fees to people’s debts in the past 18 months, driving people deeper into financial hardship. Continue reading...

Twenty-year-old’s death while working at Darwin liquor store prompts suite of reviews and increased police patrols

Nine die in Pakistan and two in Afghanistan from magnitude 6.5 event, with more than 200 people injuredA magnitude 6.5 earthquake has rattled much of Pakistan and Afghanistan, sending panicked residents fleeing from homes and offices, and frightening people even in remote villages. At least nine people died in Pakistan and two in Afghanistan, officials said on WednesdayMore than 200 people were brought to hospitals in the Swat valley region of Pakistan’s north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in a state of shock, said Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s emergency services. Continue reading...

NSW premier says the ambulance commissioner arranged an ambulance on his behalf but it was categorised as low-priority

Chinese capital saw more deaths than births in 2022 as high cost of living and education as well as legacy of one-child policy take their tollBeijing’s population has declined for the first time in almost two decades, new population figures have revealed.In 2022 there were more deaths than births in the Chinese capital, home to more than 21 million people, resulting in a natural population growth of minus 0.05 per 1,000 people. It is the first time the population has gone backwards since 2003. Continue reading...

Motion from Animal Justice Party MP succeeds as regulator welcomes ‘opportunity to update and enhance our existing systems’

Conservationist criticises ACF for working to strike a deal on safeguard mechanism and undermining the Greens’ position

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people severely overrepresented among the 122,400 people recorded as homeless

Independent Jacqui Scruby accuses Liberals of attempting to ‘deceive’ voters after signs that say ‘you can just vote one’ appear in contested seat

Federal health minister says his predecessor was unable to enact stronger border controls because he was ‘rolled’ by his party room

Love Better campaign includes a video that encourages teenagers to delete their exes on social media“OK, I’m doing it. I’m officially deleting my ex from all my socials,” a young woman says, looking determinedly into her phone screen. She leans closer and whispers: “I’m moving on.”The footage appears in a New Zealand government video which affirms the universal truth that “break-ups suck”, as part of an unusual new campaign to support young people through their experience of being dumped and suggest healthy ways to process their feelings. Continue reading...

Burnout, poor work/life balance and ‘unsustainable’ pressures are causing many NHS family practitioners to consider retirementGPs in the UK have some of the highest stress levels and lowest job satisfaction among family doctors, a 10-country survey has found.British GPs suffer from high levels of burnout, have a worse work/life balance and spend less time with patients during appointments than their peers in many other places. Continue reading...

Refugee Council figures reveal potential human and economic cost of government’s illegal migration billNearly 200,000 people, including more than 40,000 children, could be locked up or forced into destitution if the government’s controversial illegal migration bill becomes law, according to new analysis by the Refugee Council.The charity has used government data and the numbers of asylum seekers the Home Office said it hopes to deport from the UK, to project how many people are likely to either be forcibly removed or left in limbo in the first three years of the new legislation if it becomes law, at a cost to the taxpayer of around £9bn. Home Office officials say they do not recognise these figures. Continue reading...

Apps in Australia gathered information about finances and housing which could be sold to advertisers, research by UNSW and Choice found

Falling life expectancy and fears of voter unhappiness thought to be behind rethink about increase to 68 late next decadeMinisters have reportedly delayed plans to bring forward a rise in the state pension age amid falling life expectancy in the UK.The state pension age, which is currently 66, was due to rise to 68 after 2044 but reports earlier this year suggested ministers had planned to bring the increase forward to between 2037 and 2039. Continue reading...

Rainbow rights group says peaceful protesters were set upon outside a Catholic church in Belfield

The voting machine company is suing the news channel over its disingenuous coverage of various outlandish election claimsLawyers for Fox News and the voting equipment company Dominion faced off in a Delaware courtroom on Tuesday in the latest phase of Dominion’s closely watched $1.6bn defamation suit against the media company for spreading election lies.Both sides offered dueling narratives of Fox’s liability for spreading false information. The network presented outlandish claims about Dominion while knowing it was false, lawyers for Dominion said. Fox’s lawyers, by contrast, said that the network was merely airing newsworthy claims by the former president that any reasonable viewer would have understood to be allegations. The judge overseeing the case unexpectedly extended the hearing to Wednesday to give both sides more time to make their case. Continue reading...

Mayor turns on display made up of 30,000 sustainable lights on eve of Muslim month of fastingSadiq Khan has switched on the London’s first ever celebratory Ramadan lights, in Piccadilly Circus.It is the first time a European city has seen such a grand display for the festival, with the installation featuring 30,000 sustainable lights. Continue reading...

Aircraft will take off and land vertically, and carry a single passenger between transport hubs, says capital’s airports operatorAthletes are getting in shape for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, and so is the world’s first electric air taxi network.“We are going to make it happen,” Solène Le Bris of Paris airports operator Groupe ADP told an industry audience at Amsterdam Drone Week. “We are trying to launch the first e-VTOL [vertical takeoff and landing] pre-commercial service in the world: that’s our ambition.” Continue reading...

Metropolitan police commissioner says ‘institutional’ label is confusing and political as fallout from Casey report continuesSadiq Khan has publicly clashed with the commissioner of the Metropolitan police, saying he disagrees with Sir Mark Rowley’s refusal to describe his force as institutionally misogynistic, racist and homophobic.The mayor of London, one of two people who appointed Rowley, spoke as the fallout from Louise Casey’s bombshell report into Scotland Yard continued. Continue reading...

Timing is controversial given actions of Israel’s far-right government towards settlements and judiciaryThe UK and Israel have signed a long-term agreement strengthening ties in the fields of defence, security and technology following plans announced last year to put relations between the two countries on an elevated footing.The timing of Tuesday’s agreement is controversial since it will be seen as a mark of approval for Israel’s far-right government, which has put settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank at the top of its agenda and faces a massive backlash over plans to neuter the role of the judiciary. Continue reading...

Former prime minister says he believes evidence shows he did not recklessly mislead parliament over PartygateBoris Johnson claims there is no document showing that he was given “any warning or advice” than any No 10 event may have broken Covid rules. He says:It is clear from that investigation that there is no evidence at all that supports an allegation that I intentionally or recklessly misled the house. The only exception is the assertions of the discredited Dominic Cummings, which are not supported by any documentation.There is not a single document that indicates that I received any warning or advice that any event broke or may have broken the rules or guidance. In fact, the evidence before the committee demonstrates that those working at No 10 at the time shared my honest belief that the rules and guidance were being followed.I accept that the House of Commons was misled by my statements that the rules and guidance had been followed completely at No 10. But when the statements were made, they were made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time. Continue reading...

Human rights campaigners condemn bill introducing capital and life imprisonment sentencesMPs in Uganda have passed a controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill, which would make homosexual acts punishable by death, attracting strong condemnation from rights campaigners.Nearly all of the 389 legislators voted late on Tuesday for the hardline anti-homosexuality bill, which introduces capital and life imprisonment sentences for gay sex and “recruitment, promotion and funding” of same-sex “activities”. Continue reading...

Former PM to argue he did not intend to mislead MPs, at hearing that could lead to suspension from parliament

Verdict by hardline Tory MPs follows decision by DUP to also oppose Windsor framework

Damning report may bolster Mark Rowley’s declared mission of reform but he needs to take ‘cops on the ground’ with himParadoxically, now the full scale of the dysfunction at the Metropolitan police, exposed by Louise Casey’s report, is known to the public, the force’s commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, could start to get a bit more of what he wants.Rowley has asked for time to start turning the force around, and as the dust settles it was clear that the two people he needs to fear the most because they can sack him – the home secretary and London mayor – will give him that. Continue reading...

Russian leader reacts to comments by UK defence minister that Britain will supply armour-piercing rounds to Kyiv

Former PM’s defence dossier released ahead of parliamentary committee hearing on Wednesday

Defence industry minister Pat Conroy admits ‘scope’ for extra costs and that local shipbuilder ASC may not win contract for British designed boats

Only 15% of local councils collect data on proportion of parents who are able to access sufficient childcareThe government’s claims that there are enough childcare places in England are “meaningless” as councils collect little to no information on whether provision meets local demand, experts have said.Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area under section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006. Continue reading...

Exhibition evoking childhood experiences brings together installations by nine artistsNine leading contemporary artists have come together to create an interactive exhibition in Barcelona for kids – and anyone in touch with their inner child.“Before the pandemic we had the idea of mounting an exhibition of contemporary art for people of all ages, something that children could relate to but also so that older people could relive the experience of being a child and participate as if they were children,” said Martina Millà, who jointly curated the show at the Fundació Joan Miró with Patrick Ronse, the artistic director of the Be-Part contemporary art platform in Belgium. Continue reading...

Evidence given to federal court reveals extensive delay in the review process, including 42 freedom of information cases languishing for five years

Wiradjuri designer to hold standalone runway for her label Ngali as the industry continues to feel shockwaves from pandemic

Move poses political risk for US president, who has a difficult relationship with his Chinese counterpart Xi JinpingA bill requiring the release of intelligence materials on potential links between the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan has been signed into law by US president Joe Biden.“We need to get to the bottom of Covid-19’s origins … including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Biden said in a statement. “In implementing this legislation, my administration will declassify and share as much of that information as possible. Continue reading...

Bulk of people polled say major policy announcements from Labor and Coalition will not sway their vote in lead-up to election

Western Sydney University says its partnership with the Ministry of Ayush will ‘advance the scientific base of Ayurveda’Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastWestern Sydney University is partnering with an Indian health ministry that has promoted the use of pseudoscientific and potentially harmful treatments to Covid-19.Ayurveda has been used in India for centuries as a natural alternative to western medicine. But its efficacy has been widely debunked and it can be dangerous in some instances. Continue reading...

Initial call for protest came after family of headteacher Ruth Perry said she took her own life after news of lowest ratingA Berkshire headteacher who issued a plea on social media for support for her plan to prevent Ofsted inspectors visiting her school has withdrawn her request, asking people not to come to the school, in the interests of children and staff.Flora Cooper, the executive headteacher at the John Rankin federation of nursery, infant and junior schools in Newbury, wrote on Twitter earlier on Monday that Ofsted inspectors were due to visit on Tuesday morning.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Report of more than 300 pages identifies institutional homophobia, misogyny and racism in force and unwillingness to deal with failures