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Calls grow for repeal of statute of limitations and widening of definition of rape after former model makes allegations on TikTokA young woman’s account on TikTok of being drugged, raped and then blackmailed by a beauty pageant organiser when she was 16 years old has provoked outrage in Nepal and prompted calls to reform the country’s “grossly inadequate” rape laws.In one of a series of videos, which together have been viewed millions of times, the former model and child actor broke down in tears as she talked about Nepal’s statute of limitations that dictates survivors must report cases of rape within one year of the offence being committed. Continue reading...

Musician celebrated for slide guitar playing and soulful voice released a string of acclaimed albums between 1994 and 2012Kelly Joe Phelps, the celebrated singer and guitarist whose music traversed blues, country and jazz, has died aged 62. A post on his Facebook page said he died “quietly at home in Iowa”.Born in Washington state, Phelps was raised in a musical family and first trained as a jazz musician, but broadened his playing after being inspired by artists such as Mississippi Fred McDowell. “I wanted to figure out a way to improvise like a jazz musician would, but at the same time play a style of music that was more closely linked to folk forms,” he explained. Continue reading...

Fresh from US defamation case win against Amber Heard, actor has been playing UK gigs with Jeff BeckIn the latest stop of his UK tour, only days after winning a multimillion-dollar defamation trial against Amber Heard, Johnny Depp was spotted holding a cub badger in Kent.“Guess who’s been to see us,” Folly Wildlife Rescue Trust wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday, which received thousands of likes. “That’s the real Johnny Depp!” Continue reading...

The British Columbia program was abruptly shut down and nine officers are reportedly under investigation after the incidentPolicing experts in Canada have called for an overhaul of undercover tactics after reports that officers at a training session participated in “disgusting, appalling” behaviour, including penetrating a colleague using a vegetable, defecating on another and exposing genitalia.According to Global News and CTV, the BC Municipal Undercover Program was abruptly shut down after the workshop in May, which included a role-playing exercise in which some participants went to “extreme lengths” to prove they were not officers. Continue reading...

Joshua Mason, 23, and his 50-year-old mother, Deborah Mason, likely to plead guilty after victim’s leg was found on Northern Territory highway, lawyer says

Advocates and key councillor hope the halt is short-lived, but transport union criticises existing lanes

Anti-corruption watchdog plans to publish its own report on pork-barrelling, ‘including whether and how it relates to corrupt conduct’

Tim Edwards spent 35 hours grinding his work into a glass illusion that took out the $15,000 Tom Malone prizeArtist Tim Edwards has won the prestigious Tom Malone prize for Australian glass art with a work that plays tricks with the viewer’s eye.The winning work, titled Ellipse #8, is a luminous blue form 47cm tall and from some angles it is difficult to tell whether the glass is two- or three-dimensional. The piece is 3D but not very thick with a depth of just 8mm. Continue reading...

Voters frustrated that promised changes have gone undelivered since ‘red wall’ seat turned blueIt was nearing 4am on election night in 2019 when Wakefield became yet another piece of Labour’s crumbling “red wall” and the new Conservative MP, Imran Ahmad Khan, declared that residents had “for too long felt taken for granted” and promised to give them a voice.Two and a half years later, the West Yorkshire city and its surrounding towns are fighting to have that pledge fulfilled after being left unrepresented in parliament owing to a lengthy legal battle that ended with Khan being jailed for child sexual assault. Continue reading...

PM reveals Labor remains committed to ending trade but first needs to consult with farmers and Western Australian government

Effort to win over doubters in Berlin, Paris and other capitals and start accession process

Exclusive: force says Project Alpha scours social media to identify offenders and fight serious violenceMetropolitan police documents say the force has been collecting “children’s personal data” from social media sites as part of a project to carry out “profiling on a large scale”.The Met says the scheme, known as Project Alpha, helps fight serious violence, with the intelligence gathered identifying offenders and securing the removal of videos glorifying stabbings and shootings from platforms such as YouTube. Continue reading...

Front pages are awash with red, white and blue, as well as images of Prince Louis – aka the ‘prince of wails’ – being deafened by Red ArrowsThe Queen’s Jubilee celebrations were splashed across the front pages of most British newspapers on Friday, as large crowds gathered in London to catch a glimpse of the monarch on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.For the Express, the whole occasion was “Incredible”, taking its headline from remarks the Queen reportedly made to a “teary Prince Charles” at the sight of the “rapturous crowds” thronging the Mall. “Oh, how incredible,” she is said to have uttered to her heir. Continue reading...

Police believe the boy ran on to McIntyre Road in Sunshine North about 6.30pm on Thursday and was hit by a red sedan that failed to stop

Northern Territory police allege the man, 23, and woman, 50, moved the victim’s body after she was struck by the car on Monday nightA man and a woman have been charged after the body of a pedestrian was found near Darwin two days after her leg was discovered on a Northern Territory highway.The 23-year-old man is accused of hitting the Indigenous woman with his car on the Stuart Highway on Monday night on the outskirts of Darwin. Continue reading...

Delivery riders 13 times more likely than recreational cyclists to present to emergency department between 8pm and midnight

Russian forces now occupy about 20% of Ukraine’s territory as Zelenskiy notes ‘some success’ in battles at Sievierodonetsk

Countries use North’s elevation in rotating presidency to chastise Pyongyang over recent missile tests and feared preparation for fresh nuclear testNorth Korea skipped the diplomatic niceties for a combative tone as it took the helm of the Conference on Disarmament.“My country is still at war with the United States,” declared Pyongyang’s ambassador, Han Tae-Song. Continue reading...

Cost of living concerns and shift to working from home continue to hold footfall below pre-Covid levelsRetailers are warning of fragile confidence among shoppers after figures revealed visitor numbers to UK high streets, shopping centres and retail parks last month remained 12.5% down on pre-pandemic levels.The shift to working from home and concerns about the cost of living continue to hold back trade, with visits to shopping centres down by more than a quarter on 2019 while high streets had 14% fewer visitors. Continue reading...

Former US secretary of state speaks of working with Russian leader and his ‘goal of restoring imperial Russia’Vladimir Putin has an “almost messianic belief in himself” and does not like critics, especially if they are women, the former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has said.

Palace says monarch experienced ‘some discomfort’ during platinum jubilee celebrationsThe Queen will miss the national service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Friday after experiencing “some discomfort” during Thursday’s platinum jubilee celebrations, Buckingham Palace has said.She is believed to have experienced episodic mobility issues during the day. The palace said she would still attend a beacon lighting event at Windsor Castle on Thursday evening. Continue reading...

Dedicated followers of Hollywood star track him to Tyneside after Amber Heard defamation case ruling“Oh my God, I have literally invested everything in this court case,” said Victoria Wilson, going some way to explaining why she was spending her bank holiday on a Gateshead hotel forecourt hoping for a glimpse of Johnny Depp.“All my friends think I’m such a loser for being so obsessed. I can’t believe he’s here. It’s history isn’t it?” Continue reading...

Actor speaks at length for first time about supposed falling out with her ex-Sex and the City colleagueSarah Jessica Parker has spoken at length for the first time about her supposed feud with former Sex and the City co-star Kim Cattrall. For six seasons, the pair starred together in the show, which focused on the lives of four New York women.They went on to appear alongside each other in the two follow-up movie adaptations, but in recent years there has long been talk of a falling out between the two actors, largely fuelled by barbed statements Cattrall has made. Continue reading...

Thousands turn out in sunshine to watch trooping the colour parade kick off long weekend of celebrationsIt has been 70 years since Brenda Dalton, 81, last caught a glimpse of the Queen. As a schoolgirl in Northolt, west London, she won the school ballot to watch the Queen’s coronation and saw her ride past in a golden carriage.Standing on the Mall on Thursday morning, the retired factory worker was hoping for a second chance. “That’s why I wanted to come. I was there that day when she was crowned and I think she’s done marvellous,” Dalton said. Continue reading...

Artist endowed 15th-century clock with likenesses of friends and acquaintances, possibly as a jokeOne of Prague’s most famous landmarks, a 15th-century astronomical clock, is at the centre of an embarrassing row amid claims that an artist endowed it with likenesses of his friends and acquaintances in an expensive restoration project, possibly as a joke.The 600-year-old Orloj – long a magnet for tourists who gaze up in wonder as the 12 apostles are set in motion by the clock striking the hour – reopened in a blaze of fanfare in 2018 after a £2.1m refurbishment to the city’s medieval old town hall that included an upgrade to the clock’s intricate machinery. Continue reading...

GMB union says passengers should consider not checking bags into hold amid shortages of ground and air staffHolidaymakers facing long queues at UK airports amid shortages of ground and air staff have been told they should travel with only hand luggage to minimise the disruption.GMB, one of the unions that represents aviation workers, said passengers should consider taking a small bag and not checking anything into the hold, as the country’s travel hubs battle delays and cancellations amid a surge in half-term demand. Continue reading...

More than 36,000 people arrested in just over two months in crackdown orchestrated by President Nayib BukeleAmnesty International has accused El Salvador’s government of committing “massive human rights violations” during an extraordinary security crackdown that has seen more than 36,000 people arrested in just over two months.The clampdown was orchestrated by the Central American country’s authoritarian-minded president, Nayib Bukele, in late March after a sudden eruption of bloodshed that saw 87 murders in a single weekend. Continue reading...

Other writers who have added handwritten thoughts for sale in support of English PEN include Ian McEwan and Margaret AtwoodAn extraordinary insight into some of the literary masterpieces of recent decades has been provided by their authors in handwritten annotations in first editions of their works.Among more than 80 writers who have reread and commented on their works are Margaret Atwood, Hilary Mantel, Salman Rushdie, Monica Ali, John le Carré, Sebastian Faulks, Ben Okri, Ian McEwan, JM Coetzee, Peter Carey and Bernardine Evaristo. Continue reading...

UN agency says most arriving in UK by small boat should not be called migrants, in challenge to Priti PatelThe UN refugee agency has said “a clear majority” of people arriving in the UK by small boats across the Channel should be considered to be refugees, in a challenge to the home secretary, Priti Patel.Patel told MPs and peers last year that 70% of people making the crossing were “single men who are effectively economic migrants”, and the government has repeatedly referred to them as “migrants”. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson allies seize on Tobias Ellwood’s comments to say Brexit would not be safe with rebel Tories

Conservative MSPs criticise rivals’ ‘petty, student politics’ while republicans praise boycottRepublican campaigners have applauded a decision by Scottish Green MSPs to boycott a Scottish parliament debate celebrating the platinum jubilee by walking out en masse.All seven Scottish Green MSPs, including two government ministers – Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater – left the Holyrood chamber as Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister and Scottish National party leader, led celebrations of the Queen’s 70 years as monarch. Continue reading...

Jubilee getaway congestion expected as Grant Shapps holds ‘productive’ meeting with airline companiesBritain’s holidaymakers face further road travel woes as the four-day bank holiday gets under way, adding to the ongoing disruption at airports and some railway stations.More than 19 million drivers are expected to take to the roads over the platinum jubilee weekend, according to a survey by the AA. Continue reading...

Ex-PM Peter O’Neill criticises timing of foreign minister’s visit, saying no agreements should be signed with Beijing before pollChina’s top diplomat has begun his visit to Papua New Guinea in the midst of the island’s national election as Beijing races to salvage a controversial deal in a battle of influence with Australia and other western powers.The visit of Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, came a few days after a proposed economic and security deal collapsed on Monday. But his visit has also been criticised by the former Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O’Neill, who is campaigning to take back the top job, in a series of media interviews, during which he said no agreements should be signed with China before the national election. Continue reading...

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claims 200,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly taken to RussiaThe western Ukrainian city of Lviv has commemorated the children killed during the Russian invasion. Titled “excursion that will never happen”, the city’s memorial featured empty school buses with stuffed toys strapped into seats to represent each of the 243 children so far claimed to be lost in the war.On Wednesday Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, made note of International Children’s Day during his nightly video address to the nation, saying that since Russia began its latest invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, Ukraine’s emergency services had counted 243 children as killed, 446 wounded and 139 missing. Continue reading...

Jurors in US court ruled in favour of Depp’s claim of defamation on three counts after seven-week trialThe actor Amber Heard is reported to be planning an appeal after losing a defamation trial against her former husband Johnny Depp over allegations of domestic abuse.Jurors in a Virginia court ruled in favour of Depp’s claim of defamation on three counts, awarding the Pirates of the Caribbean actor $15m (£12m), which was later reduced by the judge to $10.35m. Continue reading...

Home secretary urges everyone to ‘rally behind’ celebrations, as letters of no confidence believed to near trigger pointPriti Patel has suggested Tory plotters against the prime minister risk overshadowing the Queen’s jubilee celebration in the latest intervention from Boris Johnson’s cabinet supporters to try to head off a confidence vote in the prime minister.Speaking to the Daily Mail, the home secretary urged those pushing for Johnson to resign to “forget it” and warned that writing letters against him was a “sideshow”. Continue reading...

Scathing report finds Department of Social Services has not demonstrated the program is meeting objectives

Tanya Plibersek seeks ‘urgent briefing’ over Coalition scrapping of recovery plans; NSW man diagnosed with monkeypox; nation records 57 Covid deaths. Follow all the day’s news

Delay of up to three weeks possible for trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Higgins in Parliament House in 2019

The 73-year-old, who was sentenced in 2014 to a maximum of 10 years and nine months in prison, has been granted parole and will be deported to UK upon releaseDisgraced Hey Dad! actor and convicted child sex offender Robert Hughes has been granted parole and will be deported to the United Kingdom after his release from jail this month.Hughes, who starred as Martin Kelly in the TV comedy from 1987 to 1994, was sentenced in 2014 to a maximum of 10 years and nine months in prison, which is due to expire in January 2025. Continue reading...

Britons expected to take advantage of four-day break to splash out on street parties and nights outThe jubilee weekend is expected to deliver a £6bn-plus boost to high streets and hospitality businesses as Britons take advantage of the four-day break to splash out on street parties and nights out.Revellers are expected to spend more than £2bn on food and drink supplies alone, while pubs, bars and restaurants are hoping to ring up almost £3bn in sales, research suggests, as the two bank holidays combine with half-term breaks for most schools in England and Wales. Continue reading...

She has carried out more than 21,000 engagements during her reign and sent 300,000 birthday messages to centenarians1. Elizabeth’s birth in 1926 was attended by the home secretary. She became heir to the throne aged 10. She never went to school.2. Elizabeth was given her first corgi, Susan, on her 18th birthday in 1944. Susan once bit the ankle of a royal clockwinder, Leonard Hubbard, and has her own Wikipedia page, with sections including “royal life” and “death and legacy”. Continue reading...

Tourists suffered severe hold-ups at airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and BristolHolidaymakers who battled lengthy queues and delays leaving the UK could encounter further problems on their return journey as hubs in Europe and the US struggle with their own travel disruption.Tourists have faced severe hold-ups at UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham as they took advantage of relaxed Covid travel restrictions to enjoy a break at half-term. Continue reading...

Severe undercounting undermines our efforts to ‘understand and get ahead of the virus’, researcher says after New York surveyThe United States is now in its fourth-biggest Covid surge, according to official case counts – but experts believe the actual current rate is much higher.America is averaging about 94,000 new cases every day, and hospitalizations have been ticking upward since April, though they remain much lower than previous peaks. Continue reading...

Ita Buttrose previously branded investigation of complaints handling ‘an act of political interference’

Person 81 tells court he did not observe any conduct by Roberts-Smith and two other soldiers that caused him suspicion they had murdered anyone

Regional matters must be taken to Pacific Islands Forum, says Fiame Naomi Mata’afa after countries declined deal with Beijing

Analysis: both sides agree grain must reach world markets soon but each wants to decide howIn a game of diplomatic cat and mouse, Russia and the west are coming up with similar if sometimes competing ideas for how Ukraine’s badly needed grain can be given safe passage through the Black Sea and on to the world markets. They are also competing to win the battle for world opinion if the plans collapse.Both sides are busy diplomatically across Africa and the Middle East trying to portray their adversary as the culprit for spiralling food and fertiliser prices. Russia and Ukraine export more than a quarter of the world’s wheat, while Russia is the world’s top fertiliser exporter. The World Bank’s Fertiliser Price Index rose nearly 10% in the first quarter of 2022, to an all-time high in nominal terms. Continue reading...

African state that signed deal with UK to host asylum seekers perpetrates ‘transnational repression’, Freedom House report saysRwanda has been accused of being among the worst perpetrators of “transnational repression” in the US, stalking, harassing and threatening exiles there, according to a new report.The report by the Freedom House advocacy group in Washington, names Rwanda alongside China, Russia, Iran and Egypt as the principal offenders in seeking to extend the reach of their repressive regimes into the US. Continue reading...

Police arrest man and woman over alleged traffic incident involving pedestrian on Stuart Highway on Darwin’s outskirts